Achala Daniel Malik, Fenny Ama Pokuaa, Atim Chris, Ataguba John Ele-Ojo
African Health Economics and Policy Association (AfHEA), Accra, Ghana.
Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Reprod Health. 2025 May 31;22(Suppl 1):78. doi: 10.1186/s12978-025-01989-0.
Adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) is an integral part of the global health agenda. It is strongly featured in the universal health coverage (UHC) agenda of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The need to expand ASRH services to accelerate progress on UHC is urgent in Africa, compared to other regions, given its youthful population and unmet ASRH needs. Limited access to ASRH services increases the risk and vulnerability of adolescents to poor health outcomes such as unintended pregnancies, high adolescent birth rate, poor birth outcomes, high maternal and neonatal mortalities and high exposure to sexually transmitted infections. The unavailability and inaccessibility of ASRH interventions to adolescents and young adults in most African countries, including Ghana, arise from several limitations, including inadequate funding of interventions, cultural barriers and norms, lack of education, and inadequate supplies of ASRH services and commodities, among others. However, gains from investments in ASRH interventions, especially following the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, highlight the importance of identifying and prioritising adequate funding for effective ASRH interventions. This paper identifies priority ASRH interventions that can potentially advance the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of adolescents in Ghana to accelerate progress towards UHC.
Qualitative descriptive methods, combining literature review and stakeholder engagement, were used for this study. A literature review complemented by stakeholder engagement ensured the listing, ranking and validation of interventions.
Adapting an established framework designed by the West African Health Organization (WAHO) through stakeholders' engagement process, the paper identifies four of seven priority interventions ranked and validated by stakeholders for addressing the SRH needs of adolescents in Ghana. Consistent with the literature, several interventions exist to address ASRH needs. The most effective priority or promising four interventions in Ghana, according to stakeholders, include adolescent health clubs programmes, girls' empowerment programmes through comprehensive sexuality education, national capacity-building programmes to deliver high-quality integrated family planning and comprehensive maternal health services, and electronic health (eHealth)/digital health programmes.
Identifying effective priority interventions for addressing the SRH needs of adolescents is a consultative process facilitated by proven and valid frameworks adapted to align with specific country contexts.
青少年性与生殖健康（ASRH）是全球健康议程的一个组成部分。它在可持续发展目标（SDGs）的全民健康覆盖（UHC）议程中具有显著特征。鉴于非洲年轻的人口结构以及未得到满足的青少年性与生殖健康需求，与其他地区相比，在非洲迫切需要扩大青少年性与生殖健康服务以加速全民健康覆盖的进展。获得青少年性与生殖健康服务的机会有限会增加青少年面临不良健康后果的风险和脆弱性，如意外怀孕、青少年高生育率、不良分娩结局、高孕产妇和新生儿死亡率以及高性传播感染暴露率。在包括加纳在内的大多数非洲国家，青少年和青年无法获得青少年性与生殖健康干预措施，原因有多种限制，包括干预措施资金不足、文化障碍和规范、缺乏教育以及青少年性与生殖健康服务和商品供应不足等。然而，对青少年性与生殖健康干预措施投资所取得的成果，特别是在千年发展目标实施之后，凸显了确定并优先提供充足资金以实施有效的青少年性与生殖健康干预措施的重要性。本文确定了一些优先的青少年性与生殖健康干预措施，这些措施有可能满足加纳青少年的性与生殖健康（SRH）需求，以加速实现全民健康覆盖的进展。
本研究采用了定性描述方法，将文献综述与利益相关者参与相结合。通过利益相关者参与对文献综述进行补充，确保了干预措施的列出、排序和验证。
通过利益相关者参与过程，采用西非卫生组织（WAHO）设计的既定框架，本文确定了利益相关者为满足加纳青少年性与生殖健康需求而排序和验证的七个优先干预措施中的四个。与文献一致，存在多种干预措施来满足青少年性与生殖健康需求。利益相关者认为，加纳最有效的四个优先或有前景的干预措施包括青少年健康俱乐部项目、通过全面性教育增强女孩权能的项目、提供高质量综合计划生育和全面孕产妇健康服务的国家能力建设项目以及电子健康（eHealth）/数字健康项目。
确定满足青少年性与生殖健康需求的有效优先干预措施是一个通过经过验证且有效的框架促进的协商过程，这些框架经过调整以适应特定国家的情况。
