19TH INTERNATIONAL INTER-MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON SOUTH -SOUTH COOPERATION IN POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT
UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE AND FAMILY PLANNING. 15TH NOVEMBER 2022 PATTAYA, THAILAND
We need national campaign to prevent teenage pregnancies, child marriages – NPC
1st Demographic summit, 2021
Facts Sheet Updated
Family planning key to demographic dividends – Devt. partners
The existing national population structure, where the working group is more than the dependent group, presents a temporary window of opportunity for the economic development of the country.
The National Population Council (NPC) and the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), however, say the development potential presented by such a structure, known as demographic dividends, will not automatically translate into sustainable development.
At the launch of a national advocacy video developed to educate the public on the critical role of family planning in national development in Accra, the heads of the institutions said the right policies, with deliberate investment in certain sectors, such as family planning, education, health and governance, were required to harness the potential presented by demographic dividends.
Demographic dividend
The United Nations Population Fund defines demographic dividend as the economic growth potential that can result when the share of the working-age population (15 to 64) is larger than the non-working-age (14 and younger and 65 and older) share of the population.
The phenomenon is said to be a boost for economic productivity when there are growing numbers of people in the workforce relative to the number of dependents, indicating that more people have the potential to be productive and contribute to growth of the economy.
Launch
The video was produced in partnership with and the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The advocacy campaign documentary was on the theme: “Turning the wheels towards economic prosperity through investment in family planning”.
The Director-General of the NDPC, Dr Kodjo Esseim Mensah-Abrampa, said there was no doubt that the country had embraced and provided leadership in family planning since the 1970s.
“But the face of family planning pursuit has changed from health and a social concern to an economic endeavour. Family planning has become a resource for which investment is required and strategic intervention needed to harness.
“One of the key potential economic gains from family planning is the demographic dividend, which is the accelerated economic that may result from rapid decline in a country’s fertility and subsequent change in the population and age structure.
“Total fertility rate increased from 4.4 children per woman, on the average, in 2003 to 4.6 in 2007 and declined to 4.2 and 3.9 in 2014 and 2017, respectively. Maternal mortality has also been dropping, since 2007, from 451 per 1,000 live births to 310 per 1,000 live births in 2017,” he said.
According to Dr Mensah-Abrampa, since 2013, the country had consciously embarked on interventions to harness its demographic dividends by making strategic investments in key areas such as health, education, economy and governance.
He said the framework was mainstreamed into the Medium–Term National Development Policy Framework of 2014-2017 and 2018-2021 for implementation.
Investment
The Executive Director of the NPC, Dr Leticia Appiah, said it was important to note that demographic dividends were not automatic but required conscious investment in family planning, education, health, economic reforms and good governance.
Although Ghana has experienced an appreciable decline in fertility since the 1980s, with fertility rate declining from 6.4 in 1988 to 4.2 in 2014 and corresponding dependency ratio, there was still room for further decline.
She said decline happened by focusing on reducing avoidable high risk pregnancies, such as those by teenagers and first-time mothers who were between 35 and 40, through family planning.
“Timely investment in family planning, nutrition, health education and governance transforms human resource to quality human capital is badly needed to reap demographic dividends,” the executive director added.
The UNFPA Country Representative, Mr Niyi Ojuolape, said both young people and declining fertility had the potential to reap the demographic dividends.
Date: Feb – 22 – 2021 , BY: Doreen Andoh
NPC launches advocacy documentary
The National Population Council (NPC) in partnership with the Population Reference Bureau with support from USAID have launched an advocacy video documentary on Ghana’s demographic dividend to speed up development.
The launch of the documentary which is on the theme “Turning the wheels towards economic prosperity through investment in family planning” took place yesterday February 18, 2021 in Accra.
Dr. Leticia Appiah, the Executive Director of NPC, during the launch of the video stressed that reaping the demographic dividend is not automatic but requires conscious investment in family planning, education, health, economic reforms and good governance.
Explaining the demographic dividend as accelerated economic growth that a country can experience as a result of the changes in population age structure, Dr Appiah said, the Council believes that through sustained high-level advocacy and sensitization, the importance of reaping the demographic dividend will become a national priority among policy makers, political and national leaders to bring about the increased commitment to investment in quality human capital including family planning, nutrition, health and education, economic growth and good governance that will help Ghana attain the demographic dividend.
The Executive Director was of the view that though Ghana has experienced an appreciable decline in fertility since the 1980s with fertility rate declining from 6.4 in 1988 to 4.2 in 2014 and corresponding dependency ratio, there is still room for further decline by focusing on reducing avoidable high-risk pregnancies. She added that mortality and morbidity risk to mother and infant are higher if mother is below 18years, birth intervals less than two years, birth order four or higher and women older than 35/40 at first birth.
According to the maternal health survey 2017, 49% of births were in at least one avoidable high-risk pregnancy and as much as 17% of birth were in multiply avoidable high-risk categories.
“This shows that even though fertility is steadily declining, focus should be on disaggregated data for programme implementation” she stressed.”
She noted that the advocacy video complements the efforts already undertaken towards harnessing the demographic dividend and is also a call for sustained action on the part of all relevant stakeholders towards meaningful impact at scale.
“The demographic window of opportunity is opening for Ghana and we need to become braver, stronger and bolder champions of population and development now more than ever.” She urged.”
“We need to seize the opportunity by investing in the key sectors of family planning, nutrition, health, education and skills development, the economy and good governance,” said Dr. Appiah. adding that “The window of opportunity closes when the opportunity is not utilized.”
According to the Executive Director of Irbard Security Consult, Irbard Ibrahim, Ghana’s burgeoning population provides b ad news for labour but an even worse one for national security fi the right policies are not put in place to mange population growth and cushion the youth demographic bulge.
“What is even the essence of labour if it not skilled? These growing questions give security sector actors like us a cause for concern,” he asked.”
Ibrahim recommended a consistent and regular engagement between national security and the NPC so that both outfits can exchange notes and experiences not only on the phenomenon of child ‘streetism’ but also the wider population issues of port parenting, early and forced marriage, unp0lanned childbirth, poor education and a dangerously unaddressed youth bulge.
February 19, 2021, By: Kofi Ahovi
COVID-19 also threatening Sexual Reproductive Healthcare – Dr. Leticia Appiah
The Executive Director of National Population Council, Dr. Leticia Appiah has noted that COVID-19 is highlighting the imbalance in Sexual Reproductive Healthcare delivery.
Speaking at the launch of World Population Day on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, she noted that COVID-19 has exposed the weak health systems which cripple women’s development.
“COVID-19 has indeed exposed the lack of equity and fairness in our societies and widening the inequality gap… Healthy and empowered women can bring about the change needed to create a sustainable future for all.”
Speaking on the theme “Putting the brake on COVID-19: how to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls now”, she explained that COVID-19 is threatening to derail measures to attain “Zero Maternal Deaths, Zero Unmet Need for Family Planning and Zero Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Harmful Practices targets, which are necessary for meeting our SDG goals and in our Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda.”
But Dr. Leticia Appiah further assured the general public that the NPC and its partners are working hard to save the gains made in ensuring that the Sexual Reproductive Health Rights stay on the local agenda.
“As a nation, the NPC and its partners are committed to safeguarding the hard-fought gains and ensuring that Sexual Reproductive Health Rights and services stay on the local agenda to enlist societal and political wills in maintaining the momentum towards achieving the SDGs by 2030 and develop Ghana beyond Aid.”
Below is her full speech at the launch
REMARKS BY DR. LETICIA ADELAIDE APPIAH ON THE
PRESS BRIEFING ON THE 2020 WORLD
POPULATION DAY CELEBRATION
Good morning
Country Representative, UNFPA
Country Director, Marie Stopes international
And all other distinguished partners present
The Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
The National Population Council warmly welcomes you all to the pre-launch of the 2020 World Population Day Celebration. Each year, the celebration offers National Population Council (NPC) and its partners the opportunity to raise awareness on emerging population issues confronting humanity. It is a time to assess how well society honors its citizens by meeting their needs and well- being across everyone’s life course and across generations.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the theme for this year’s celebration is “Putting the brake on COVID-19: how to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls now”.
Globally, the pandemic is threatening to derail many efforts including efforts to achieve Zero Maternal Deaths, Zero Unmet need for Family Planning and Zero Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Harmful Practices targets, which are necessary in meeting our SDG goals and in our Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda.
As a nation, the NPC and its partners are committed to safeguarding the hard-fought gains and ensuring that Sexual Reproductive Health Rights and services stay on the local agenda to enlist societal and political wills in maintaining the momentum towards achieving the SDGs by 2030 and develop Ghana beyond Aid.
According to the 2017 Ghana Maternal Health Survey, the Maternal Mortality Ratio is estimated at 310 deaths per 100,000 live births (i.e. 12 per cent of deaths among women in Ghana is due to maternal causes). In relation to unmet need for family planning, almost one out of three married women who want to space or limit the number of children they want to have is not using any family planning method leading to many unintended and mistimed pregnancies.
More so, more than 50 percent of the population are females and 16.1 percent are young females aged 10-24. Some of these women and girls have been abused and their human rights violated in several ways. Over 40 percent of women who are married or living together with their partners have had any form of social violence or physical violence; 30.1 per cent with various forms of sexual violence. It must be noted that these figures were higher in rural areas as compared to urban areas. On the average, women who marry before age 18 is 19 percent higher in the Northern and Upper East regions and lowest in Greater Accra region.
In this wave of COVID-19 pandemic, population issues are also influencing the outcome of our livelihoods and thus should no longer be ignored.COVID-19 has indeed exposed the lack of equity and fairness in our societies and widening the inequality gap. The pandemic has presented the world a chance to address the imbalance to build strong and resilient health system and equitable development of all including women and girls. Healthy and empowered women can bring about the change needed to create a sustainable future for all.
Ladies and gentlemen, how do we as a nation safeguard the health and rights of our women and girls in order to achieve the SDGs by 2030 without engaging the media?
We need the help of the MEDIA to create and maintain awareness on sexual and reproductive health needs and vulnerabilities of women and girls during the pandemic and beyond. Also, advocate for the continuity of SRHR and Sexual and Gender Based Violence services in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic. We need to focus on the harm such practices cause and the benefits we seek to realize from abandoning them. We cannot achieve these lofty goals alone since public health needs all hands-on deck. Therefore, I urge all stakeholders to come together to safeguard the health rights of women and girls now.
Thank you.
by Ernest Arhinful – July 8, 2020
Media urged to maintain awareness on reproductive health needs of women
The National Population Council (NPC), has called for media support to create and maintain awareness on sexual and reproductive health needs of women and girls during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Dr Leticia Adelaide Appiah, the Chief Executive of NPC, said it was important for the country to remain committed to safeguarding hard-fought gains in promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) of women and girls and keep the issues on the local agenda during the pandemic.
Dr Appiah who made the call at an event to pre-launch the 2020 World Population Day celebrations in Accra with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said that was the only way to maintain the momentum towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and ensuring Ghana beyond aid.
World Population Day is observed every July 11 to raise awareness on population issues.
This year’s celebration is on the theme; “Putting the Brakes on COVID-19 to raise awareness of global population issues: How to Safeguard the Health and Rights of Women and Girls Now”.
The celebration will raise awareness on the three transformative goals of; zero maternal deaths, zero unmet needs for family planning as well as zero sexual and Gender Based Violence and harmful practices.
Dr Appiah noted that almost one out of three married women who wanted to space or limit the number of children to have was not using any family planning method leading to many unintended and mistimed pregnancies and asked the media to help preach the advantages of family planning.
She said in the wake of the pandemic, population issues were also influencing outcome of livelihoods and must no longer be ignored.
Dr Appiah recounted challenges COVID-19 had exposed women and girls to and called for the need to advocate the continuity of SRHR and Sexual and Gender Based Violence services.
Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, said the Service by way of controlling population had mainstreamed family planning services and also extended its scope by using Community Health nurses to reach the vulnerable.
He said family planning was placed on the National Health Insurance on a pilot to offer services for free in some areas.
Dr Agnes Ntibanyurwa, the UNFPA Deputy Country Director, called on government to put in place measures to ensure the achievement of the formative goals target, which were necessary in meeting the SDG goals.
Ms Patricia Antwi-Boasiako, the Deputy Director Operations and Advocacy Marie Stopes Ghana, pledged to support the NPC and called for the need to prioritise and invest in the health of women and girls.
She underscored the need to increase local funding, specifically budgetary allocation to health, with clear lines of a good percentage to adolescent reproductive health issues.
“Our ability to achieve the SDGs in 10 years, to safeguard the future of our girls and ensure our development gains are indeed progressive and sustainable depends largely on the investments we make today as a country,” she stated.
By Ghana News Agency
Jul 8, 2020