Accra, Ghana | 14 October 2026
The National Population Council (NPC) has convened a stakeholder engagement meeting to deliberate on Ghana’s Revised Guidelines for Reproductive Health Education (RHE), with the aim of addressing outstanding concerns, strengthening stakeholder consensus and advancing the adoption and effective implementation of the Guidelines in pre-tertiary schools and community-based settings across Ghana.
Held at the Mensvic Grand Hotel in East Legon, Accra, on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, the meeting brought together representatives from government institutions, Parliament, development partners, civil society organisations and religious bodies to discuss key issues relating to the content, language, cultural sensitivity and age appropriateness of the revised Guidelines.
In her opening remarks, Mrs. Angelina Osei Kodua-Nyanor, Acting Executive Director of the National Population Council, called for constructive, respectful and evidence-informed dialogue among stakeholders. She emphasised the need to address concerns through meaningful consultation, noting that inclusive engagement was essential to strengthening the Guidelines, fostering mutual understanding and building broader stakeholder ownership for their implementation.
Institutions represented at the meeting included the Ministry of Education, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), NORSAAC and the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), among others.
Parliament was represented by Hon. Kwame Gakpey, Member of Parliament for Keta and Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Caucus on Population and Development; Hon. Isaac Yaw Opoku, Member of Parliament for Offinso South; and Hon. Vondee David, Member of Parliament for Twifo Atsimakwaa, all of whom participated in discussions on the revised Guidelines. Also present was Madam Anita Quartey Papafio, Clerk to the Parliamentary Caucus on Population and Development.
Religious representation included Rev. Thomas Arboh, representing the Christian Council of Ghana, and Alhaji Yusuf Quainoo, representing the Muslim Interfaith Agency. Their participation underscored the importance of engaging religious institutions and parliamentary representatives in building understanding and consensus on reproductive health education in Ghana.
Presentation on the Revised Guidelines
Delivering a presentation on the Revised Guidelines for Reproductive Health Education in Pre-Tertiary Schools and Community-Based Settings in Ghana, Prof. Joshua Amo-Adjei highlighted the importance of adolescents’ cognitive, emotional and social development in shaping the design and delivery of effective reproductive health education.
He explained that brain maturation, peer influence, and the social and cultural environments in which young people grow up influence their decision-making and behaviour. He therefore emphasised the need for age-appropriate communication, safe learning environments and life skills development, including self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making and the ability to build healthy relationships.
Prof. Amo-Adjei traced the revision process to public concerns raised in 2019 regarding the proposed Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) guidelines. He noted that subsequent consultations brought to the fore concerns about cultural and moral values, terminology, the appropriate age for introducing the content, and the roles of parents and religious institutions.
These concerns informed key changes to the framework, including its renaming as Reproductive Health Education, the adjustment of the starting age from four to six years, the revision or removal of contentious concepts, and the integration of the content into existing school subjects rather than its introduction as a standalone subject.
The revised Guidelines cover learners from Primary One to Senior High School Three, approximately six to eighteen years of age, with content tailored to their respective developmental stages. At the primary level, the topics include hygiene, puberty, relationships, consent and decision-making. At the junior high school level, the content extends to unintended pregnancy, substance abuse, sexually transmitted infections and HIV. At the senior high school level, the Guidelines address healthy relationships, gender-based violence, sexual health, stigma and access to appropriate support.
Prof. Amo-Adjei stressed that successful implementation would require sustained collaboration among schools, parents, religious bodies, civil society organisations, government institutions and other relevant stakeholders. Such collaboration, he noted, would be critical to ensuring that the Guidelines are culturally sensitive, widely understood and effectively delivered.
Building Consensus for Adoption and Implementation
Discussions during the meeting focused on outstanding concerns relating to terminology, language, cultural considerations and age appropriateness. Participants explored practical approaches to building common ground among parents, educators, religious institutions, civil society organisations, government agencies and other stakeholders to support the adoption and implementation of the revised framework.
The revision process followed public concerns surrounding the draft Comprehensive Sexuality Education guidelines introduced by the Ghana Education Service in 2019. In response, the NPC, working in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, coordinated three consultative engagements to facilitate dialogue, address concerns and contribute to the development of revised Guidelines that reflect stakeholder perspectives.
The latest engagement sought to consolidate the outcomes of these consultations, identify a practical way forward and advance the process towards securing the requisite approval for integrating the revised Guidelines into Ghana’s national curriculum for pre-tertiary education.
The meeting reaffirmed the importance of inclusive consultation, evidence-informed decision-making and sustained collaboration in developing reproductive health education guidelines that respond to the needs of adolescents and young people while taking Ghana’s cultural and social context into account.
The National Population Council reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating evidence-informed policy dialogue, coordinating stakeholder engagement and promoting meaningful participation in population and reproductive health matters. Through these efforts, the Council seeks to contribute to improved adolescent health and well-being and enhance the overall quality of life of Ghanaians.
ENDS