{
  "id": 8044019,
  "title": "Government must treat child protection as national priority – Plan International",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/government-must-treat-child-protection-as-national-priority-plan",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-17T14:47:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/government-must-treat-child-protection-as-national-priority-plan-international/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Eric Ayaba, Head of Programmes at Plan International Ghana, has urged the government to allocate a specific budget line to child protection, emphasizing that safeguarding children should be a national priority. During the National Dialogue on Financing Child Protection on Thursday, September 17, Ayaba stressed that consistent domestic funding is crucial for ensuring children's proper protection, education, and preparation for future leadership roles. \"If we truly believe that children constitute our future, then today's duty-bearers have an irrefutable responsibility to guarantee that these future leaders are prepared, educated, and protected today, equipping them to assume leadership positions in the future,\" he asserted. Ayaba highlighted that insufficient funding for child protection has been an ongoing issue across various governments, posing a significant obstacle to child safety efforts. He called upon the government to adequately fund institutions responsible for child protection, such as the Department of Social Welfare, Department of Children, and the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, suggesting that this support should extend beyond mere budgetary contributions to encompass institutional capacity, human resources, and operational backing. Ayaba reaffirmed Plan International Ghana's dedication to collaborating with partners like SOS Children’s Villages to uphold and enhance the welfare and protection of children both currently and in the future.",
  "summary": "The Head of Programmes at Plan International Ghana, Eric Ayaba, has called on the government to establish a dedicated budget line for child protection, saying safeguarding children must be treated as a national priority.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}