The Service, through its Family Health Division, has officially launched the National Family Planning Week and commemorated World Contraception Day 2026. The event was held under the theme "A Choice for All: Agency, Intention, and Access" and guided by the motto "It’s Your Life. It’s Your Future," to reaffirm bodily autonomy and national growth.
In her opening remarks, the Chairperson, Dr. Abigail Kyei, an International Public Health Management Consultant, emphasized that bodily autonomy and family planning are fundamental to national development. She called for active, cross-sectoral collaboration to bridge the gap between policy and reality, stressing that choice becomes meaningful only when quality services, accurate information, and dignity are made accessible to every individual across Ghana.
In an address delivered on behalf of the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, the Deputy Director-General, Dr. Caroline Reindorf Amissah, stated that the Service reiterated its firm commitment to translating national family planning strategies into responsive, community-level care. She emphasized that GHS continues to work closely with the Ministry of Health, UNFPA, development partners, professional associations, civil society, traditional leaders, and the private sector. She highlighted that these strong partnerships have been instrumental in driving commodity security, capacity strengthening, demand generation, and overall service delivery across national, regional, and district levels.
Dr. Amissah explained that National Family Planning Week provides a vital platform to take activities directly into communities through health promotion, media engagements, and local outreach, offering an opportunity to listen directly to community experiences and expectations to ensure family planning services remain accessible, available, and truly responsive to the needs of the Ghanaian people.
Delivering the welcome address, the Director of Family Health Division, Dr. Kennedy T.C. Brightson, highlighted that family planning extends beyond clinical interventions to serve as a vital pillar of social stability, gender equality, and national economic development. He noted that behind every health statistic is a real person making crucial life choices, urging stakeholders to ensure healthcare delivery remains human-centred, responsive, and grounded in the realities of the communities served.
In his Keynote Address delivered on behalf of the Minister of Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Mr. Ignatius Abowini Awinibuno, Director of Allied Health, Ministry of Health officially declared National Family Planning Week 2026 opened. He noted that while progress has been made, significant gaps remain for vulnerable groups, including adolescents, persons with disabilities, and underserved rural populations.
He stressed that family planning is a direct investment in human capital that drives gender equity and household well-being. Underscoring the theme, he reaffirmed government commitments to strengthening domestic health financing, building resilient commodity supply chains, eliminating stock-outs, and improving provider attitudes. He urged healthcare workers to eliminate coercion and stigma so that every person in Ghana can exercise genuine, voluntary choices supported by dignified care.
A joint solidarity message delivered by Dr. Twum Barima on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO) and allied development partners reaffirmed their commitment to Ghana’s health agenda, emphasizing that family planning must be recognized as a fundamental human right rather than a privilege. Partner agencies pledged continued technical and financial support for capacity building, supply chain management, and data systems to eliminate regional disparities and fulfil the promise of universal access.
In her closing remarks, Dr. Abigail Kyei reminded all participants that choice is only beautiful and meaningful when supported by real opportunities. She noted that the true measure of success will not be the eloquence of speeches or the number of policies drafted, but whether a person somewhere in Ghana can access confidential, respectful, and dignified care when they decide to plan their life and future. She urged GHS and its partners to turn these commitments into action as National Family Planning Week 2026 activities roll out across the country.