By Ashiadey Dotse
The Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, has revealed that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people nationwide increased by 32 per cent in 2024 during his address at the 2025 State of the Youth address in Accra on Wednesday November 5, 2025.
The Minister explained that the sudden increase is worrying because it shows that many young people are engaging in risky sexual activities adding that testing rates among young men are also on a decline, which could make the situation worse indicating infections may go undetected and untreated.
Mr. Opare Addo also raised concerns about rising drug abuse among young people. According to him, 26 per cent of first-time drug users are between the ages of 14 and 15, while 41 per cent are aged 16 to 17. He said drug abuse at this stage affects memory, learning, emotional control and decision-making. He warned that this could lead to poor academic performance, school dropout, depression, addiction, risky sexual behaviour, violence and unemployment.
He further revealed that alcohol, marijuana, edibles and even hard drugs like cocaine are easily available on many school campuses. He said although some schools offer counselling and awareness programmes, only 36 per cent of academic institutions have such support systems, which he described as inadequate.
The Minister announced that his ministry will work with other agencies to create a national strategy to address STI infections, drug abuse, mental health challenges and other youth-related issues.
