98% of women in Ghana get pregnant by accident - Catholic Relief Services

The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Ghana has
disclosed that about 98 percent of women
between the ages of 15 to 49 get pregnant by
accident.
According to a representative of CRS, Kris Ozar,
he said lack of inadequate support from husbands
and also perceived fear of the side effects
associated with the use of modern contraception
had been some of the causes of the unplanned
pregnancies.
He disclosed this during a recent dissemination
workshop on Strengthening Marriages and
Relationships through Planning and
Communications (SMART) couple and Fertility
Awareness Method (FAM) project in Tamale.
The event was organised by CRS and the Ghana
Health Service.
Mr. Ozar stated that about 50 percent of girls
from the Sub-Saharan Africa countries marry and
start childbearing during their adolescent ages
with least resources and no decision-making
power in the household, which affect the family
well-being.
The SMART project implemented in West
Mamprusi in the Northern Region and the Nabdam
District in the Upper East Region was to train
couples on better ways to communicate and to
adopt joint decision making on family planning.
Mr. Andrews Asamoah, the Project Manager for
SMART Couples, said couples who adopted the
new behaviours and communication techniques
were better and able to plan to improve their
health and well-being of their entire family.
He said the SMART Couples Project had helped
the young couples and demonstrated the highest
improvements in gender relations and dynamics,
male involvement in child health, birth-spacing
and joined in health decision-making.
Catholic Relief Services is a humanitarian aid
organisation, which helps the poor and vulnerable
by responding to major emergencies and also
helps to fight hunger and disease.