2018-2025: Progress or plateau?
Dear esteemed duty bearers — Cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament, Metropolitan, Municipal and District chief executives, traditional authorities, faith leaders, development partners, civil society organisations and private sector leaders – I wish to present a comparison of data from 2018 and 2025 for our reflection on whether meaningful progress has been made in the well-being of Ghana’s children.
The Global Countdown to 2030: Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health is an international initiative that tracks progress on health and wellbeing for women, children and adolescents around the world.
Like a global “report card”, it will help us understand what’s working, what isn’t and where more effort is needed as we examine data from 2018 and 2025 closely.
This report states that in 2018, Ghana’s under-five mortality, which was about 48 per 1,000 live births, declined to 37 per 1,000 within the seven years in focus.
This reduction reflects investments in immunisation, malaria control and primary healthcare.
Yet, maternal mortality remains high at 234 per 100,000 live births, which is a modest improvement over 2018 levels.
In 2018, official data reported preterm births at one per cent and low birth weight at eleven per cent, but local studies suggested rates of 14 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively.
By 2025, preterm births are 15 per cent and low birth weight 14 per cent.
High preterm and high low-birth-weight rates indicate that more babies are born too early or too small, respectively.
This increases the risk of health problems and even death. Low rates indicate healthier pregnancies and better newborn outcomes.
The given data shows that progress has been slow and challenging.
Coverage
Antenatal care coverage (four or more visits) is high at 88 per cent and postnatal care at 87 per cent.
These numbers were already strong in 2018.
The limited improvement in birth outcomes, however, suggests that quality of care (not just coverage) remains the missing link.
Current data shows that one in six Ghanaian children still experiences chronic malnutrition.
Exclusive breastfeeding rates improved significantly (from 43-53 per cent) and early initiation of breastfeeding rose to 58 per cent from 52 per cent.
Of all under two years, 19 per cent still receive a minimum acceptable diet.
This lack of progress highlights deep-rooted issues in both the food system and household poverty.
Evidence
Dear duty bearers, herein lies the evidence that malnutrition is not merely a health issue. It is an economic and human capital crisis.
A stunted child today may become an under-skilled adult tomorrow.
About 92 per cent of children are still exposed to violent discipline and 30 per cent experience inadequate supervision.
Legislative reforms and child protection policies have yet to translate into behaviour change. Social norms persist.
Early childhood education access has improved to 71 per cent, yet home stimulation is weak - only seven per cent of children have books and 34 per cent receive adequate early stimulation.
Enrolment without quality inputs, such as trained teachers and engaging materials, limits developmental gains.
Inclusion for children with functional difficulties remains inadequate.
While identification has improved slightly, early intervention systems remain fragmented and financing for inclusive education remains insufficient.
Comparison
The comparison between 2018 and 2025 is neither a story of failure nor a story of bold transformation.
Ghana’s children are surviving in greater numbers.
The urgent task now is ensuring they thrive.
To ensure children thrive, duty bearers must prioritise quality in maternal and newborn care, integrate nutrition-sensitive social protection, enforce child protection laws, strengthen the quality of early learning and institutionalise early identification and intervention services.
The first five years determine the next 50.
History will judge today’s duty bearers not by policies drafted but by outcomes delivered for Ghana’s youngest citizens.
The writer is a Child development expert/
Fellow of the Zero-To-Three Academy, USA.
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