The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations’ sexual and reproductive health agency, has called for a new kind of relationship with the media, one based on access, evidence, trust and honest engagement.
Speaking at the UNFPA Media Forum at the Ministry of Finance Conference Room in Kanda, Accra, on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, UNFPA Ghana Country Representative, Dr. Wilfred Ochan, said the Fund wants regular and open engagement with journalists, not engagement only when there is a programme to launch or an announcement to make.
Dr. Ochan was delivering the keynote address on the theme: “Beyond the Headlines: Partnership, Trust and Ghana’s Development Story.”
Dr. Ochan said UNFPA wants journalists to have access to information and evidence so they can report accurately, ask tough questions and help the public understand development issues beyond headlines.
He stressed that the relationship must be built on honesty. UNFPA, he said, wants the media to challenge it, question its partnerships and tell it what it is hearing from communities.
“Let us deepen a relationship with you that is based on access, evidence, trust and honest engagement,” Dr. Ochan said. “That is the foundation of a good relationship with the media.”
He added: “Not one where we only engage when there is a programme to launch or an announcement to make. But where we continually or regularly engage openly in having honest conversations about what is useful to the people we serve, the challenges, the progress and the work that remains.”
He told journalists that UNFPA does not expect them to promote the organisation. “We do not expect you to become the publicity arm of UNFPA. That is not your responsibility,” he said.
Instead, he urged the media to hold UNFPA and its partners to account. “We want you to ask questions: Are the partnerships producing results? Are we reaching those who need support? Are we listening to the communities we work with? What could we do better?”
Dr. Ochan said journalists occupy a unique position in Ghana’s development. “As journalists, you connect policy to people. You ask whether partnerships are producing results. You help bring overlooked issues and voices into the national conversations,” he said.
He also urged accuracy, dignity and independence in reporting, especially on stories involving women, girls and young people.
“Go beyond the headlines, verify the facts, protect the privacy and dignity of those involved, particularly survivors of violence and vulnerable young people, and above all, remain independent,” Dr. Ochan said.
He said UNFPA’s work is guided by partnership, local ownership and respect for Ghana’s social and cultural context. “No institution can bring about lasting change on its own. Certainly not UNFPA,” he said.
Dr. Ochan said Ghana brings its own leadership, institutions, knowledge, culture and understanding of what its people need. UNFPA, he said, brings technical expertise, policy advice, evidence and international experience.
“Our partnership is built around listening, local ownership and respect for Ghana’s social and cultural context,” he said.
He said UNFPA’s commitment to Ghana is measured by tangible outcomes that improve the lives of women, girls and young people, supported by national leadership.
He pointed to work in maternal health, family planning, adolescent and youth development, population evidence and ending child marriage and gender-based violence.
On accountability, Dr. Ochan asked: “Are our efforts making a difference where it matters most, in people’s lives: in saving lives, protecting people, creating or expanding opportunities anchored in institutional systems for purpose of sustainability and scale-up?”
He further called for honesty and openness. “We welcome your voice, because ultimately, what matters is not how well we tell the story of our work, but the difference that work makes in people’s lives,” he said.
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