By Isaac FRIMPONG (Ph.D.)
A nation’s most valuable asset is a healthy population. In Ghana, where rapid population growth is outpacing development, this asset is at risk.
Healthy citizens drive productivity, transforming natural resources into products that fuel economic growth. However, when population growth is inadequately managed, healthcare systems experience strain, resulting in diminished health outcomes and reduced national productivity.
Ghana exemplifies this challenge by facing the task of aligning population management with healthcare delivery to sustain development.
This article, the third in the series based on the book Human Resource to Human Capital: The Essence of Population Management, examines the impact of poor population management on Ghana’s healthcare system.
Population and Health Indicators
Life expectancy is a critical indicator of a nation’s well-being. In Ghana, life expectancy stands at 66 years, which is below the global average of over 70 years.
This disparity reflects the strain on Ghana’s healthcare system, where access to quality healthcare remains limited for many individuals, particularly in rural areas. Achieving universal health coverage is crucial for improving life expectancy.
However, it necessitates a healthcare system equipped to provide prenatal, antenatal, and postnatal care, alongside preventive services and health education.
Lower life expectancy signifies the premature loss of valuable human capital, disrupting the intergenerational transfer of skills, knowledge, and cultural values. Nations with higher life expectancy invest substantially in preventive healthcare, health promotion, and early disease detection.
In Ghana, despite increases in healthcare expenditure, gaps in infrastructure, service provision, and population management persist. Addressing the root causes of rapid population growth, such as adolescent pregnancies, unintended pregnancies, and child marriages, could alleviate these pressures, thereby reallocating resources for other critical health needs.
Impact of Population Growth on Healthcare Delivery
The consequences of poor population management are evident in Ghana’s healthcare infrastructure. Many babies are born to teenage mothers in suboptimal conditions, beginning life with compromised health.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a minimum of five hospital beds per 1,000 people, yet Ghana only has one bed per 1,000. This gap severely impacts the health and development of both teenage mothers and their children, many of whom lack the resources or knowledge to demand better healthcare services.
Rapid population growth without corresponding development places immense strain on healthcare services. With Ghana’s population at 33.78 million in 2023, the burden on healthcare systems is immense.
The United Kingdom, with a similar land size but a population of 68.33 million, has a lower dependency ratio due to fewer children under 15, allowing for greater productivity. In contrast, Ghana’s high proportion of dependents, places immense pressure on the healthcare system, reducing the number of productive citizens and making it difficult to keep pace with healthcare demands.
Ghana’s healthcare infrastructure is also unevenly distributed. While both public and private healthcare facilities exist, access remains a challenge in rural areas. Teaching hospitals, designed as referral centres, are overwhelmed due to infrastructural deficits and staff shortages.
In 2020, the doctor-to-patient ratio was 1:6,500, far below the WHO-recommended ratio of 1:1,000. This imbalance, combined with rapid urbanisation, threatens to overstretch healthcare services even further in the coming years.
Population-Healthcare Mismatch
The absence of affordable healthcare can lead to significant financial instability for individuals and families. Without accessible healthcare, people are forced to pay out-of-pocket expenses for medical treatment, potentially leading to indebtedness. Untreated health conditions further limit their ability to work, exacerbating their financial instability.
On a broader scale, poor health drains public resources and reduces productivity, as a sick workforce cannot fully contribute to the economy. Healthcare inequality also widens social divides, entrapping vulnerable populations in cycles of poor health and poverty. Thus, poor health becomes an expensive issue for both individuals and the state, leading to inefficiency and suboptimal outcomes.
Population dynamics directly influence the quality of healthcare services and life expectancy. However, national policies have primarily focused on expanding services to meet the growing population rather than addressing the root causes of rapid population growth. This approach has left significant gaps in achieving universal health coverage, as the healthcare system struggles to keep up with demand.
Urbanisation, driven by population growth, presents additional challenges. By 2030, 65 per cent of Ghana’s population is expected to live in urban areas, further intensifying the strain on healthcare systems. Overcrowded health facilities, inadequate sanitation, and the spread of communicable and non-communicable diseases are likely outcomes if population growth continues unchecked.
Conclusion
The productivity and quality of life of Ghana’s citizens are closely linked to effective population management. From pre-conception to adulthood, longevity and well-being depend on the prioritisation of reproductive health services, education, and healthcare access.
However, poor population management, coupled with limited access to affordable healthcare, increases financial instability for families and creates unsustainable pressure on both individuals and the state. This burden manifests in rising healthcare costs and diminished workforce productivity due to untreated health issues.
While childbearing is a personal choice, it also carries national implications, as it shapes the future workforce. Ineffective management of population growth; characterised by high rates of teenage pregnancies, child marriages, and unintended pregnancies; can transform a potential demographic asset into a liability.
For Ghana to fully capitalise on the benefits of its growing population, policymakers must align population growth with development goals. By ensuring that healthcare systems are adequately equipped and accessible to all, Ghana can better meet the changing needs of its citizens.
Finally, only by addressing both the drivers and consequences of rapid population growth can the nation establish a healthcare system that supports a healthy and productive population today and future for all.
The author is a Researcher and Consultant
