PCC Contact:
 | Ms. Esther Cofie PCC and Head Population and Development National Population Council P. O. Box MB 666 Tel: +233-21-668944 Tel: +233-21-665713 Tel: +233- 288-257275 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |  |
Ghana: 2007-2008 Review Report and 2008-2009 Workplan
A. 2007-2008 Review Report
1.0 Brief description of major political or development events that have enhanced or negatively affected your work
Ghana has been a relatively peaceful country over the past decade and this has facilitated the development efforts of the country. The country is preparing to hold general elections this year. As the various political parties step up their campaigns it is the hope of all Ghanaians that the elections will be peaceful to enable the country move forward.
Ghana’s economy had been quite stable and this had contributed to a steady increase in Government budgetary support for population programmes in the country. However due to worsening global economic conditions this year, Government budgetary allocations to ministries, departments and agencies for 2008 have been cut by 50%. The reduction has adversely affected the implementation of planned activities many of which have either been downscaled or not held at all. Meetings of the Technical Advisory Committees of the National Population Council which provide technical support to the work of the NPC are a typical example of activities not undertaken.
2.0 Activities that have contributed to realization of the South-South goal and objectives
There is close collaboration between Ghana and her neighbours as well as other countries in the sub-region and Africa as a whole on a wide range of issues which include reproductive and population issues. During the year, Ghana interacted with a team of consultants researching into the comparatively low total fertility rate of Ghana compared to other countries in the sub-region. A delegation from Burkina Faso was also in the country to be briefed on how to integrate population variables into development planning. It is also important to note that in 2006, Ghana as third Vice-Chair of the African Population Commission Bureau, representing the West Africa Region, hosted the APC-West Africa Conference on Safe Motherhood. The Conference provided a platform for sharing ideas on best practices in safe motherhood among countries in the Sub-region. Ghana also participated in the UAPS Conference in Tanzania in 2007 where the NPC made a poster presentation on the integration modules
In 2009, the National Population Council plans to hold a Forum on Population Distribution, Urbanization and Development to discuss the rapid rate of urbanization and its impact on the various sectors of the economy. Some countries in the region would be invited to participate and share their experiences.
There is also increasing collaboration between Ghana and southern countries such as China, Brazil and India mainly in the area ICT, construction and capacity building especially for young people thereby providing them with skills, knowledge and employment for their personal development as well as the development of the country.
3.0 Major achievements of the PCC/Country Representative
Ghana was invited to participate in the PPD Africa Region Office Meeting in 2007. This provided an opportunity for the country’s representative to be introduced to PPD and its activities. Since then the country Representative had prepared a report on that meeting and briefed the Chairperson of the National Population Council, Mrs. Virginia Ofosu-Amaah and the Executive Director of the NPC, Mrs Esther Apewokin accordingly. As a follow-up, the Chairperson of the NPC accepted to participate in the PPD Forum and Board Meeting in Rabat in 2007 and made a presentation titled “Overview of Women’s Empowerment, Gender and Reproductive Health Challenges”. On her return, she has lobbied for Ghana to join the PDD as a member country. This has culminated in the inclusion of the subscription for PPD in the national budget estimates for 2009 pending approval by Parliament.
The Country Representative also participated in the East Africa Reproductive Health Network as a prelude to the creation of the West Africa Reproductive Health Network in the West Africa Region. Ghana was also the first country to be visited by the ICT Consultant engaged by PPD ARO to assess the ICT needs of countries. Ghana has since presented a report and made recommendations for improvement to facilitate work between Ghana and PPD ARO.
Furthermore, discussions are on going with the Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS), University of Ghana to run short courses for PPD member and collaborating countries.
4.0 Highlights of any significant progress in Ghana over the past year in SRHR, population and development (policy, programmes, or coordination)
Launch of RoadMap for Repositioning Family Planning in Ghana: Ghana developed a “Road Map for Repositioning Family Planning in Ghana” (2006-2010). It is aimed at re-emphasising the importance of FP to both health and socio-economic development. Implementation of activities in the document has been commenced by partner agencies under the coordination of the National Population Council. As part of the 2008 World Population Day celebrations, the document was launched by the Minister of Health. The programme which was attended mainly by the media was eto inform the general public as well as partner agencies about the document and planned activities and also elicit support for its successful implementation.
- Free maternal health care: The National Health Insurance covers basic health services including maternity services. The scheme which is basically a district mutual fund, was formally launched in 2003. In 2008, Ghana received support from some development partners to provide free maternal health care for pregnant women under the scheme. Consequently, pregnant women are being registered under the NHIS to be provided with free antenatal, delivery and postnatal care. It is expected that the free maternal services will contribute to reducing maternal mortality in the country to enable the country attain MDG Goals 4 and 5.
- National Long Term Development Plan: Ghana prepared a National Long Term Plan aimed at transforming the economy to a modern economy based on science and technology. At meetings that were held to review the draft document the National Population Council stressed the strong linkages between population, sustained economic growth and development. The NPC also made a strong case for the integration of population factors into development planning. (A paper was presented to the National Development Planning Commission to that effect).
- Migration Bureau: A Bureau to coordinate migration specifically international migration has been established at the Ministry of the Interior. The Bureau which works with key stakeholders in the public and private sectors as well as the academia is currently working with a consultant to develop a migration profile for Ghana.
- Integration of sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS: The National Population Council in collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Commission is spear-heading the integration of SRH and HIV/AIDS. The uniqueness of this programme is that the integration is not only through the health sector but also through existing programmes of some partner agencies such as the Ministry of Education and Sports, Minsitry of Women and Children’s Affairs, Minstry of Local Government and Rural Development and Environment and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The Ministry of Health on its part is reviewing all its IEC materials to ensure that correct messages go out to the public The Ministry is also developing a check list for monitoring services provided at health facilities.
- Draft Policy on Ageing: As the proportion of Ghana’s population 60+ increases, a draft Policy on Ageing has been developed and is currently being finalized. The Policy covers areas such as health, training and retraining, nutrition and Care.
5. Challenges over the past year in SRHR, population and development (policy, programmes, or coordination)
Integration of Population variables into development planning: The challenge is that the district assemblies do not have the capacity to integrate population factors into planning. Consequently, the NPC in collaboration with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with support from UNFPA trained some district planning and budget officers on how to carry out that activity. NPC, however do not have the resources to train all district personnel. Furthermore some trained personnel have either left their jobs or have been transferred to other districts. Unfortunately they have not passed on the skills acquired to other district staff prior to their departure.
In order to overcome these challenges, NPC initiated a process to get some institutions which train district level staff such as the Institute of Local Government Studies and Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration to incorporate the modules in their curriculum to enable more district staff to be trained. There is also need for a greater political commitment at all levels.
for population issues.
6.0 Good practices and lessons learned
1) Integration of Population Variables into Development Planning (Training Modules): The International Conference on Population and Development-Programme of Action recommended the full integration of population variables into development planning. The Revised National Population Policy also recognized the interrelationship between population, sustained economic growth and development. Consequently the National Population Council in collaboration with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with support from UNFPA developed fifteen training modules on various sectors including health, education, housing, water and sanitation etc. to facilitate the integration of population factors into development planning. The National Population Council used the Modules to build the capacity of district assembly staff to enable them in practical ways integration population concerns into their district development planning process. Training began with the district planning officers and some budget officers from the three northern regions. There have been training for some planning and budget officers in the other regions. Advocacy seminars were also organized for some District Chief Executives to solicit their support for the programme.
The result was that district personnel had been equipped with the requisite skills to enable them plan more effectively. Some districts have effectively utilized the Modules in the preparation of their district development plans. Awareness had also been created among stakeholders such as district chief executives and district coordinating directors on the need to integrate population into development planning.
The use of the integration modules makes planning easier and more realistic. The sensitization and involvement of the district chief executives and coordinators in the training facilitated the utilization of the modules. There are however difficulties with limited resources for training, high staff turnover at the district level, limited political commitment to integration of population factors into development. The Module are to be reviewed and updated.
The Integration Modules is recommended to all PCCs. It is however important to involve all stakeholders not only at the district level but at all levels.
2) Integration of SRH/HIV/AIDS: At the 38th Session of the UN Commission on Population and Development in 2005, countries were requested to strengthen the policy and programme linkages between HIV/AIDS and SRH. Consequently the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) Steering Committee requested the National Population Council to advise on how best to integrate HIV/SRH activities in the country. NPC led consultations with key stakeholders who constituted a Task Force. They included Ghana Health Service, (GHS), Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, MoWAC), Ghana Education Service, (GES), Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment (MLGRD&E;) and reported to GAC. GAC requested NPC to coordinate the recommendations of the report.
The Task Force presented proposal to GAC in 2008 which aimed basically at harmonizing the implementation of integrated HIV/SRH programmes in the country. Members of the Task Force also agreed that the programmmes should be piloted in two districts where they will all work to achieve greater impact. The MLGRD&E; was to write to the districts to inform them of the integration programme and also to include integration activities in their budgets. The capacity of the Agricultural Extention Services Directorate of MoFA will be strengthened in advocacy, prevention and Behaviour Change Communication(BCC) on HIV/SRH. Furthermore MoWAC will use the Women’s Development Fund as entry point for providing women’s groups with information on HIV/SRH. GHS will prepare a checklist to assess the range of services and competence of service providers, provide technical support to Task Force members and review existing training modules and train trainers. GES will strengthen capacity of private schools in advocacy, prevention and BCC activities. The National Population council will coordinate and document best practices and submit report to GAC. Activities would be implemented from 2008-2010.
It is expected that comprehensive guidelines will be developed at the end of pilot phase. So far GHS has completed a checklist for assessing its services.
It is clear that establishing the necessary linkages and with partner agencies facilitates implementation of activites, increases impact and makes for effective utilization of resources.
5. Any recommendations to PPD, or to the PPD ARO specifically, based on your experiences over the past year.
My experiences with PPD over the past year had been exciting having been introduced to PPD, PPD ARO, the vision and mission and the concept of south-south corporation. The benefits of working with PPD both as a member country or a collaborating country is immensely beneficial. It provides a platform for interacting with other countries in Africa and beyond to share knowledge and skills. PPD should, therefore, mobilize more resources to upscale its activities especially in Africa where countries are confronted with many challenges. There is the need to expand membership and collaborators to create a wider base for sharing information, skills and resources to improve the quality of life for the people of Africa.
B. Workplan
1. Background
Ghana’s population from the 2000 Population and Housing Census was 18.9 million with an annual growth rate of 2.7 percent. Estimates for 2007 indicate a population size of 22.5 million (2007) growing at 2.0 percent. The 2000 census indicated a youthful population with 44 percent below 15 years. Urbanization has been quite rapid and currently about 43.8 percent of the population live in urban areas. Ghana’s fertility has declined from 6.4 children per woman in 1988 to 4.4 in 2003. There are however regional variations ranging from a high of 7.0 in the Northern region to a low of 2.9 in Greater Accra. The contraceptive prevalence rate for modern methods increased from 5 percent in 1988 to 19 percent in 2003. Unmet need for family planning is 40 percent resulting in increasing unplanned pregnancies up to 16 percent in 2003. This is in spite of an almost universal knowledge of family planning methods among both men (99 percent) and women (98 percent).
Infant mortality declined steadily from 66 deaths in 1993 to 57 in 1998 but rose to 64 in 2003. Under-five mortality has shown a similar trend, declining from 111 deaths in 1993 to 108 in 1993, and then rising to 111 in 2003. Life expectancy is estimated at 59 years (57 years for males and 61 for females). Maternal mortality has been high with a national average of 214 deaths per 100,000 live births although maternal mortality ratio of more than 700 has been recorded in studies carried out in some districts, particularly in Northern Ghana. Although as high as 92 percent of pregnant women in Ghana receive antenatal care from a health professional, more than half (53 percent) of them are not attended to by health professionals during delivery, a situation that increases the risk of women to maternal death.
HIV/AIDS prevalence is 2.6 percent (2007). Reported cases in Ghana have been mainly among persons 15-49 years who constitute the economically active labour force and the most sexually active.
The slow pace of women’s socio-political empowerment compounded by their largely financial dependency contributes to less than desirable health seeking behaviours. This situation is heightened by traditional practices and beliefs, which affect women more than men. Majority of women irrespective of their marital status have no final say in decisions that affect their general and reproductive health.
Although women form 50.5 percent of the population, 25 (11 percent) out of 230 Members of Parliament are women. The literacy rate for women is 52 percent compared to 63 percent for men. Gender-based violence is a major concern and is receiving attention at both national and regional levels because of the serious consequences it has on mental and physical well being, including reproductive and sexual health. A Domestic Violence Law has now been passed by Parliament.
Young persons of 10-14 years constitute 30.5 percent of the Ghanaian population. A high proportion of them particularly females are vulnerable as they are exposed to premarital and unsafe sex. Contraceptive use among these adolescents is quite low (6.4 percent) with an unmet need of 50 percent. Although, there are no national data on unsafe abortion, a recent autopsy study revealed that young women (10-24 years) constituted 35 percent of the total number of cases and abortion is the leading cause of maternal mortality.
2. Goal
Mission Element 1: Policy Dialogue
1. Increased recognition and resources for RH in the development agenda.
2. Increased availability, accessibility and affordability of reproductive health commodities within PPD collaborating countries
Mission Element 2: Networking in the region
1. Enhanced capacity and leadership skills
Mission Element 3: Sharing of experiences and good practices
1. Good practices are identified and shared within collaborating countries
3. Determination of workplan activities
The workplan includes activities that have been discussed among staff of the NPC as well as with key partners and are already in the pipeline. There will be a new Parliament in 2009 after the elections and as with earlier Parliaments there is the need to sensitize members on SRHR, and on Population and development enable them understand and appreciate its interlinkages and also lend their support to population programmes. The 2008-2009 workplan also includes activities that are already fixed on the calendar of PPD Sect and PPD Africa.
4. List of key events
2008
1. September 2008: PCC Meeting for Africa Region
2. November 2008: PPD Board Meeting
2009
1. March 2009: Population Distribution, Urbanization and Development Forum
2. May 2009: Advocacy- i) Parliamentarians on SRHR and Population and development ii) resource mobilization for F/P commocities
3. August: Preparation and participation in Meeting of West Africa Reproductive Health Network (WARHN)
4. September 2009: PCC Meeting for Africa
5. Partnerships
Government of Ghana, UNFPA, Parliament, Ministries, Departments, Agencies, PPD Africa, Private Sector agencies, NGOs.
6. Leveraging additional resources
NPC has raised funds for the urbanization forum from UNFPA and the Government of Ghana. We would be grateful if PPD Africa could raise additional funds from interested development partners. Ghana intends to invite ten countries in the sub region to participate in the Forum and share their experiences.
7. Expected outside technical support needs in order to achieve activities
PPD Africa Office to provide technical support towards preparation and holding of the WARHN
8. Remarks or suggestions
The provision of guidelines for the preparation of the Review Report and workplan is good. However in view of the busy schedules of PCC and country representatives it is recommended that the process should begin early to allow time for in-country consultations as well as consultations and clarification from PPA Africa.
Workplan matrix for 4th quarter 2008 to 3rd quarter 2009
STRATEGIC FOCUS 1: Policy Dialogue
Objective 1.1: Ensure that reproductive health rises on the development agenda
Strategic Action 1.1.1: Increase political commitment of policymakers for RH and P & D in PPD member and collaborating countries
Output 1.1.1: Increased knowledge, appreciation and receptivity of SRHR and population and development among Parliamentarians
Activity 1: Hold one two-day advocacy workshop (retreat) for Members of the Parliamentary Caucus on Population and Development on SRHR and population and development
Indicator 1: Number of Parliamentarians reached (target= 50)
30% time of PCC and two technical staff for one month; 20% time of two administrative staff for one month; 100% time of PCC and 5 technical staff people for two days
NPC, MOH/GHS/NDPC/UNFPA, $10,000 (UNFPA)
3rd quarter 2009
Strategic Objective 1.2: Advocate for increased reproductive health commodities and supplies
Strategic Action 1.2.2: mobilize additional resources for RH commodities and supplies
Output 1.2.2: Additional resources mobilized for RH commodities and supplies
Activity 2: Hold quarterly coordinating meetings and consultations with development partners and other key stakeholders to ensure adequate logistics as well as funding for RH commodities
Indicator 2.1: Number of coordinating meetings held (target= 4)
Indicator 2.2:
Additional resources mobilized
(logistics/funding)
20% time of PCC per quarter 20% time of two technical staff per quarter 10% time of one administrative staff per quarter
NPC, MOH/GHS UNFPA
Strategic Focus 2: Networking in the region
Strategic Objective 2.1. To build and strengthen strategic partnerships with key organizations involved in RH and population and Development
Strategic Action 2.1.1: Share best practices and information
Output: 2.1.1: Increased capacity of network members to link or integrate SRHR and Population and Development in related programming
Activity 3: Attend WARHN meeting Indicator 2: Number of technical staff attending WARHN meetings (target= 2)
One meeting per year= 2 staff members at 100% for four days
Paid by PPD ARO Activity 4: Attend annual PCC meeting
Indicator 3: Number of staff from NPC attending PCC meetings (target= 1)
One meeting per year= 1 staff member at 100% for six days, including two days of preparations and four days for meeting, including travel
Paid by PPD ARO
STRATEGIC FOCUS 1: Sharing of experiences and good practices
Objective 1.1: Documentation and dissemination of good practices
Strategic Action 1.1.1: Increase skills and knowledge of programme managers in collaborating countries for RH, FP and population and development
Output 1.1.1: Increased skills and knowledge, for RH and population and development among programme managers
Activity 1: Hold Forum on Population Distribution, Urbanization and Development involving key stakeholders in Ghana and 10 other African countries.
Indicator 1: Number of Key stakeholders attending meeting
Indicator 2: Number of African countries attending meeting
30% time of PCC for five months; 30% time of five technical staff; 20% time of two administrative staff for one month; 100% time of PCC and 5 technical staff people for four days
NPC, MOH/GHS/NDPC,/MLGRDE/UNFPA
(GOG, UNFPA)
Additional funds to be raised