Rights activists push for ban on showcase of sick children to solicit medical support

Child rights activists have provoked a discussion on the need to ban people who solicit for medical support for sick people on the streets.

Executive Director of Child Rights International Bright Appiah said the court would have to make a determination because the practice constitutes exploitation.

He made the call at the maiden edition of Thriving Child Seminar Series (THriCSS) in Accra.

The programme, which was organised by Compassion International Ghana and streamed virtually to facilitate the involvement of several child advocates in the country, had more than 400 stakeholders in child welfare and protection participating.

The Thriving Child Seminar series focused on children’s policy framework, legal considerations, and best practices.

The learning series was also to draw collaborations with like-minded organisations to aid in strengthening external relations and influencing the response to child development needs in Ghana.

Executive Director of Child Rights International Bright Appiah said a number of issues affecting children must be tackled head-on.

One of them is the exploitation of children in the name of seeking medical support for them, he said.

This he assured is “a matter for the court to decide”.

Touching on cyber security, Mr Appiah called for laws to protect children from online abusers.

“At every stage, there is something that we must do to protect children. The issue of online protection of children is a big issue and cyber security law is one of the things we have to push for.

“I am of the view that in order to grow our laws, we have to look at other countries and how they protect children,” he stressed.

On his part, National Director of Compassion International Ghana Kobina Yeboah Okyere noted that after nearly two decades of operation, his outfit had encountered various hurdles in ministering to children and young people.

Thus, he admitted, this initiative provided a platform for seeking solutions with similar organisations which were serving the needs of children and youth in Ghana.

“As a leader of this organisation, I carry a profound commitment to the well-being of our children, and each day serves as a reminder of the immense responsibility we bear in safeguarding their rights, nurturing their potential and ensuring their protection under the law,” Mr. Okyere said.

Executive Director of the Ark Foundation Dr. Angela Dwamena said Ghana is a signatory to a number of conventions that seek to protect children and they must be implemented fully.

She outlined the fast pace of technological changes, climactic changes, threats from full-scale war, breakdown of the family system, sex tourism and prostitution as well as child marriage as some of the challenges threatening children.

She, therefore, called for collaboration between researchers, advocates and practitioners to solve these challenges which affect the welfare of children.

“Looking at the global outlook, since Covid-19, the world has moved in a fast pace of technological changes and the current global challenges present more complex issues to practitioners and the concerns have been collaboration,” she said.

The premier edition of the series was on the theme: ‘Policy Framework on Children: The Law and Practice’.