The government has been urged to prioritise and invest in transformative health outcomes such as maternal health, family planning, and gender-based violence to ensure that the country met Sustainable Development Goal 5 by 2030.
The goal of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Five is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030.
According to the Deputy Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Ms Emmily Naphambo, investing in maternal health, reducing the unmet need for family planning, and addressing gender-based violence, including child marriages, was not just a moral imperative but also economically beneficial.
Ms Naphambo was speaking at a joint dissemination of the findings of a study on gender-based violence by UNFPA and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) yesterday in Accra.
She said that, “for every dollar invested in reducing maternal mortality between now and 2030, Ghana stands to gain significant returns. In the medium term, the country could see a multiplied return on its investment with the potential for long-term economic and social benefits.”
Moreover, Ms Naphambo stated that funding of transformative health outcomes was not a loss to the economy but an opportunity to strengthen the country’s health system and improve the overall well-being of its citizens.
However, she cautioned that without strategic planning, poor transitions in funding could lead to resource shortages, disruptions in services, and a halt in health progress.
The Deputy Country Representative acknowledged the continued support and expertise of all partners in improving the health of women and girls, particularly those in underserved areas, and reiterated the need to continue the advocacy for sustainable financing to meet the country’s health and development goals.
For his part, a Senior Lecturer at KNUST, Dr Jacob Novignon, said that government interventions could drive both economic growth and improved health outcomes, benefiting not only individuals but also the national economy.
He added that the study highlighted the strong economic returns from investing in areas such as maternal health and family planning, with every dollar spent generating between four and six dollars in benefits.
He also stressed that those investments had broader implications for both the government and the private sector, saying “For governments, investing in health and education yields long-term economic benefits, contributing as much as 1.4 per cent of GDP between 2024 and 2030.”
“For companies, the health and wellbeing of their employees, particularly women, directly affect productivity and labourforce participation. Addressing issues like unplanned pregnancies can improve workforce participation and efficiency,” he added.
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