Background
Ghana has witnessed a rapid urbanization in the past decade, with the majority of the population migrating from rural areas to the urban centre in search of better lives. The Ashanti region has a large adolescent population and cities like Kumasi have become magnets for young migrants seeking opportunities for work and education. Many of these young people face challenges like gender-based violence, sexual abuse, sexually transmitted infections, unsafe abortions and pregnancy-related complications. There is a need for a youth-friendly health centre where these young people can go to get treatment and support.

About the project:
This project was created to establish a youth-friendly centre with sexual and reproductive health services at Manhyia District Hospital. The project team trained the hospital staff on how to provide youth-friendly services and trained peer educators to reach out to the youth with information on sexual and reproductive health and the new services available. The centre was equipped with games, music equipment and video devices to make young people feel relaxed and welcome.

Results
When this project ended in 2009, 202 adolescents had been treated at the youth clinic. In 2011, 1318 adolescents were registered at the clinic and two additional youth-friendly centres had been established in the district. In 2011, more than 4100 adolescents had received counselling at one of these clinics, 860 had been tested for HIV and 840 had gained access to contraceptive methods. The project team have seen a decrease both in the number of unsafe abortions and teenage pregnancies among adolescents in the district and are now planning on setting up more youth-friendly reproductive health clinics in other communities.

Year: 2009