The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) yesterday launched two major reports as part of its mandate to generate evidence-based data to inform national development planning.

The reports include the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) District-Level Reports and the 2024 Reproductive Health Commodities Security Survey. The programme, held in Accra, was themed: “Data for Safer Communities: Strengthening Health Protection and Household Well-being across Districts.”

The reports cover key thematic areas, including unmet need for family planning among women in union, birth registration, the double burden of malnutrition in households, safe disposal of children’s stools, handwashing and household water treatment practices, and excessive alcohol intake among men.

The district-level reports were produced using Small Area Estimation (SAE) techniques, drawing on data from the 2022 GDHS and the 2021 Population and Housing Census. The SAE approach aims to provide disaggregated data to support district-specific policy design, implementation, and the identification of areas requiring targeted interventions.

Delivering an address on behalf of the Government Statistician, Dr. Alhasan Iddrisu, the Acting Government Statistician, Mr. Omar Seidu, described the event as a landmark in Ghana’s data production history. He noted that the release marked the second set of six district-level reports derived from the 2022 GDHS, following the successful launch of the first set in November.

Mr. Seidu emphasized that since 1988, the GDHS had remained the country’s most authoritative source of nationally representative data on population health and well-being. He highlighted that the survey consistently informs policies on fertility, family planning, maternal and child health, nutrition, HIV prevention, and gender equality, while also supporting monitoring of over 30 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators.

He explained that while sample surveys traditionally did not provide district-level estimates, the introduction of Small Area Estimation had bridged this gap, generating reliable indicators for all 261 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

Sharing findings from the reports, Mr. Seidu noted wide disparities across districts, particularly regarding the double burden of malnutrition. Northern districts such as Tolon, Mion, and Saboba recorded prevalence rates exceeding 23 percent, far above the national average of 11.7 percent. In contrast, districts in Greater Accra, including La Dadekotopon, Adentan, and Accra Metropolitan, recorded some of the lowest rates nationwide.

Mr. Omar Seidu commended all partners who supported the development of the reports. The Director of the Regional Institute of Population Studies, University of Ghana, Professor Mumuni Abu, who chaired the programme, described the reports as crucial tools for sanitation, nutrition, and birth registration planning at the district level.

In a fraternal message, UNICEF applauded the GSS for producing the reports, emphasizing that reliable data remains critical for effective national planning and sustainable development.