1. Norbert Apentibadek

2. Presentation Outline
 Brief Background to the Project – Mobile Component
 Rationale
 Objectives
 Geographical area & Target groups
Using mobile telephony strategically to promote adolescent sexual &
reproductive health.
 Kick-starting the project:
 Project inception & implementation workshops organised.
 Change management workshop organised.
 Our experiences with mobile telephony.
 Plans for 2013

3. Rationale for Introducing the Mobile Component for ADRH
 Young men and women are a vulnerable group, as social, economic and cultural situations
may lead them to early sexual activity and high risk.
 Young people need, want and have a right to sexual and reproductive health information &
services.
 Ignoring their sexuality will not make their problems go away. It only makes them worse.
 Therefore, recognising the need for adolescents sexual and reproductive health information
and services, ACDEP introduced the mobile component in its ADRH project as an innovative
approach to help address adolescent sexual and reproductive health issues, including:
 Unwanted pregnancies,
 Unsafe abortion
 STDs, including HIV/AIDS, through the promotion of responsible and healthy
reproductive and sexual behaviour, including voluntary abstinence, and the provision of
appropriate services and counselling in rural communities.

4. Key Concerns
Sexually active adolescents are at risk of getting and
passing on STDs including HIV/AIDS.
Increasing rates of maternal mortality among adolescents.
Increasing prevalence of unsafe abortion.
Early child bearing impedes the educational, economic
and social status of women.

5. Factors Responsible:
1. Limited access to Information Health Services
 Access to information is a right of all young persons. But young people in rural communities
in Northern Ghana do not have access to proper information on sexual and reproductive
health.
 Young people get information from their friends, which are least reliable. There are several
misperceptions like “HIV virus will spread by touching the person who is infected by HIV”, “a
girl cannot become pregnant the first time she has sexual intercourse”.
 As a result, adolescents are susceptible to sexual violence and exploitation, infection of
HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, and unplanned pregnancies.
 Apart form these, the cultural and traditional practises remain as barriers for the young
people to practise their sexual and reproductive health rights.
 Parents are reluctant to give information to their children because discussing these health
issues are either embarrassing to them or they think these information would encourage
them to experiment with sex.

6. 2. Limited Access to Reproductive Health Services
 Increasing prevalence of unsafe abortion, maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy
poses a serious health concern for adolescents. This shows the need for greater access to
reproductive health care services.
 The community and the health care providers do not always provide adolescents with proper
care.
 Their needs are discouraged or ignored. Youth-friendly health care approaches are completely
lacking adding on to the problems of the adolescents .
 Adolescents do not approach the health care providers because their right to privacy,
confidentiality and respect is sometimes not considered. They are often made to feel guilty.
 Geographical, accessibility also plays a major role. The health centres are not always at an
accessible distance. It is very difficult for the adolescents to travel to the health centres.
 Adolescents may not have enough money to pay fees for their health care so they may be
reluctant to go to the health centres.

7. Objectives
To facilitate the development and implementation of an
integrated adolescent health programme for a broader
primary health care at community level.
To enhance and integrate ICT strategies and tools as a
development approach in PHC services.

8. Geographical Area & Target Groups
 The current geographical scope of the project includes:
 Walewale in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region;
 Langbensi and Nalerigu in the East Mamprusi District of the
Northern Region;
 Salaga and Loloto in the East Gonja District and Kpandai District
respectively in the Northern Region,
 Garu in the Garu-Tempane District of the Upper East Region.
 The target groups are adolescents and their coordinators

9. Using Mobile Telephony Strategically to Promote Adolescent
Sexual & Reproductive Health:
Kick-starting the Project
Held planning meetings to define the role of mobile
telephony in the project.
Organised project inception & implementation workshops
for end-users.
Developed content for dissemination to target groups.
Organised change management workshops for managers
& other stakeholders of the project.

10. Using Mobile Telephony Strategically to Promote Adolescent Sexual &
Reproductive Health: Our Experiences
 In collaboration with Text-to-Change, text messaging system has been established
to share information with PEs, TBAs, TMPs, PLWHAs and mothers: The health
messages / information produced include:
 Maternal health and child welfare – pregnancy related issues, nutrition and
antenatal / postnatal care.
 Pregnancy & danger signs.
 Preventive health issues and how to manage such conditions should they occur.
 Adolescent sexual and reproductive health rights.
 Sexually transmitted infections.
 Teenage pregnancy – dangers/effects/prevention.
 Community water and sanitation.
 Personal hygiene.
 General best practices in health.
 For now messages are sent to about 150 peer educators and their
coordinators through text messages at 12:00 hrs on every Monday.

11. Our Experiences with Mobile Telephony….
The health information to the target groups was
planned to be in the form of :
Quiz questions,
Awareness messages,
Reminders,
Keyword feedback options,
Reproductive health encyclopedia. For example,
sending the key word ''M4RH'' to 1902 as an sms
message will give you a mobile reproductive health
encyclopedia via sms.

12. Our Experiences with Mobile Telephony….
Messages received are discussed at monthly meetings.
The discussions are moderated by coordinators / peer
educators of the youth clubs to ensure that they stay
focus.
Those who seek further information go to the ICT
centres.

13. Plans for 2013
 ACDEP will upscale the project from 5 clinics to 10 in 2013.
 Will set up and maintain mobile management platforms and solutions (both SMS
& voice) appropriate for rural circumstances for our mobile clinics and target
groups (Adolescents, TBAs, TMPs, Mothers Health workers).
 Mobile telephony will also be used to improve communication lines between the
different actors in the project which will be built around a better link between
pregnant women, communities, TBAs’, midwives / nurses and health facilities.
 Will introduce mobile voice messaging component to strengthen referral and
communication to improve reduction in delays after recognising danger signs.
 Will deploy the system at the ACDEP head office in Tamale and manage it locally.
 Will provide mobile phones to leaders of the target groups.

14. Youth using mobile phones in an HIV / AIDS drama performance

15. Thank You
Clarifications, Comments & Questions are most
Welcomed