The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) wants Ghanaian journalists to ask critical questions on sexual reproductive health of disaster victims.
The UNFPA opines that journalists by asking critical questions and demanding the right kits for disaster victims could help reforms during preparations ahead of emergencies.
Disasters ranging from natural and man-made ones such as earthquakes, landslides, hurricane, pandemics, conflicts, floods and fires have become part of human settings demanding emergency response.
Women and children become the most vulnerable in emergency situations as they are exposed to various forms of sexual and gender-based violence ranging from abuse and rapes.
STD/HIV transmission, lack of contraceptives, malnutrition and epidemic during humanitarian settings have the tendency of increasing the risk of pregnancy complications and wayside childbirth.
Shelter, food, water, clothes and medical consumables are kits often provided victims but these kits are inadequate which gives a clear indication that humanitarian services forget the existence of disasters.
Sexual reproductive health including sexual demand of disaster victims are often left unattended to with adolescent girls left to their fate during menstruation.
In this regard, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFP) constituted the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) to be distributed for victims in humanitarian settings.
They want the journalists to have an idea of what is missing.
A media engagement organized by UNFPA to enhance the knowledge of journalists in the Northern Region, a region hit by a number of disasters including floods and conflicts, sought to empower members of the inky fraternity to demand that victims are adequately cared for in emergency situations.
Programmes Analyst for Procreative Health at the United Nations Population Fund Bridget Asiamah revealed the essence of the capacity building workshop in Tamale.
“We want to achieve the goal where everyone would have universal access to procreative health to reduce maternal mortality rates and also having our young one’s potentials to be fulfilled”.
She added that “Our main focus is on women and the youth because we have realized that when disaster occurred, women and the youth are most vulnerable.”
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