Planned Parenthood
Association of Ghana (Michael Tagoe)
History
Started by volunteers when people were giving birth to as
many children as possible
·
Women are celebrated if they could give birth to
10 kids with a goat slaughtered in your name
·
Does not take into account that these children
have to taken care of
·
Most houses in Ghana only have one room, so
children have to sleep in the same room and can easily transmit communicable
diseases
·
If women do not give birth to at least 10 kids,
they are shamed in society
1967 – Several medical doctors and registered nurses start
to provide education about family planning and giving birth by choice rather
than chance or cultural norm
·
Challenges: misconceptions surrounding family
planning and birth control, especially as they were seen as a white concept
1969 – Officially established PPAG in association with the IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation)
·
Started in greater Accra, continued to expand
·
Started to employ full-time staff, not just
volunteers
·
Volunteers own the association, but staff have
the expertise to make things happen
1999 – PPAG moved to focus on adolescent health
·
Formed young clubs in schools for learning about
reproductive health issues
·
Left out young people who were not in school
(who are actually the most vulnerable)
“Young and Wise” organization
was established as a specialized youth education system
·
Head office in Accra
PPAG is in 9 of the 10 regions in Ghana (lacking one due to
ethnic conflict) but services are extended to that region
·
30% of the highest decision-making body is youth
representation to show that PPAG is a youth-centered organization
PPAG Cape Coast
Has been in the current office since 2002 after an expansion
and engages in several outreach initiatives
Global Comprehensive Abortion Care Initiative (CGACI, since
2009)
·
Purpose: to prevent unsafe abortions, which can
lead to infertility and death
o
Women used to grind up glass bottles and drink
it, eat all kinds of herbs, try to stick something into the cervix, etc. to get
rid of unwanted pregnancy
·
Methods of operation
o
Train peer educators
o
Hold radio discussions on all Cape Coast
stations
o
Run interviews on National TV service
o
Give out bikes to clients who refer the most
friends
o
Period free clinic days (provide services and
education)
·
Results from January to June 2014 in Cape Coast
facility alone
o
1156 comprehensive abortion care services
o
8793 family planning services
Abortion laws in Ghana
·
Officially illegal
·
Can be legal IF
o
Pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or
defilement
o
The fetus has gross abnormality
o
The birth will affect the mental and/or physical
health of the woman
·
3rd condition expands the legality of
abortion a lot, and includes situations under which women do not want their
child
·
PPAG can operate if the mother is within the
first trimester
Global Fund (since 2010)
·
Purpose
o
Operates in 36 precints in Ghana, mostly in the
Central and Western regions
o
Works with Ankagul and Sekondi prisons
o
Focuses on peer education of topics such as
HIV/AIDS, STIs, etc.
o
First program to work extensively with prisons
o
Current challenges include a shortage of the
reagent for HIV test kits and treatment, but prisons and pregnant women have
priority for the test kits when they are available
·
Methods of operation
o
1-on-1 and small group discussions
o
Film shows on HIV education and stigma reduction
o
HIV testing and counseling
o
Advocacy and town hall meetings
§
Can discuss topics such as providing special
diets to prison mates who are HIV+
o
Peer educator meetings to discuss successes and
challenges
o
Distribution of hygiene kits to prevent sharing
of toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, etc.
o
Group discussions for education of prison
officers’ children
·
Results from January to June 2014
o
3356 patients provided with HIV testing and
counseling
o
23628 patients provided with peer education on
STIs and education about the implications of sexual activity
National Strategic Plan
·
Purpose
o
Partnership with Cape Coast Polytechnic
(college) with a focus on HIV/AIDS education
o
Peer education is managed by a Project
Management Committee with 2 professors, 1 radio station representative, 1
student representation, and 1 peer educator representative)
·
Methods of operation
o
Radio and debate discussions, sometimes led by
peer educators
o
Stigma reduction activities
o
Speakers about being HIV+
o
1-on-1, small, and large group discussions
·
Results from January to June 2014
o
862 students educated
o
59 students tested for HIV
o
Time given by professors to speak to students
before and after classes
o
Free radio air time on the radio station, which
reaches beyond just the college
Free Family Planning Project
·
Purpose
o
To provide free family planning services for the
Yamoransa community
o
Collaboration with the Population and Health
Department of the University of Cape Coast
·
Methods of operation
o
Announcements made via the community PA system
o
Van publicity
o
Doo-to-door and church-to-church publicity
o
Outreach clinic
·
Results from January to June 2014
o
689 contraceptives provided
Leadership Development Program
·
Purpose
o
A 6-month challenge to address a specific issue
(like reproductive tract infections) in specific community (senior high school
students in 4 schools)
·
Methods of operation
o
Trained school nurses, counselors, educated
students, and clinical sessions
·
Results from January to June 2014
o
Four months in, 111 out of 151 students
identified with RTI have been treated
o
2,058 students have been educated about RTIs and
STIs
o
Outreach to all schools
o
“Corn Mill Project,” where people living with
HIV can make corn meal from kernels to fund drug purchases and healthy meals;
provides a community
o
Antenatal classes with demonstrations for
pregnant women, caretakers, and husbands
§
A common practice is to drip boiling water into
an infant girl’s vagina to heal a “sore,” which ends up wearing down the hymen
covering and can lead to infections and other health problems
Sometimes partner with DOVVSU (the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit from the Ghanaian police)
For Muslim families, women want birth control but men do not
·
Women will sometimes get birth control and keep
it a secret from the men
·
Main educational point is to empower women to
stand up for themselves because they are the ones that bear the majority of the
challenges of childbirth
·
Muslim women actually use PPAG resources the
most
Minors wanting abortions must have an adult’s consent, but
it doesn’t have to be a parent
For older women, no other consent besides the personal one
is needed
Any abortion techniques used in PPAG are approved by the WHO
Emphasis on the importance of systematic and continuous
education
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