By: Rebecca Ampah
The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has released district-level reports highlighting stark disparities in maternal healthcare utilisation and adolescent risky sexual behaviour across the country.
The reports, which utilize data from the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS), reveal that the utilisation of maternal healthcare services, defined as having at least four antenatal care (ANC) visits, facility delivery, and postnatal care (PNC) is significantly higher in Bolgatanga compared to North East Gonja.
Findings indicate that five of the top ten districts with the highest maternal healthcare service usage are in the Upper East Region, while districts in the Northern, Savannah, and North East regions recorded the lowest rates. Notably, North East Gonja (42.3%), Mion (43.3%), and Mamprugu Moagduri (43.5%) had the lowest percentages of women meeting the recommended maternal healthcare standards.
The reports also shed light on adolescent risky sexual behaviour, revealing that nearly two in every five adolescent girls aged 16 to 19 years in the Ashanti Region engaged in sexual activity before the age of 16. Akrofuom (42.0%), Amansie South (41.4%), and Amansie Central (40.9%) recorded the highest rates. Among adolescent boys, the Eastern Region had the highest prevalence, with districts such as Upper Manya Krobo (35.7%) and Atiwa West (35.0%) leading the trend.
During the report presentation, Dr. Athanasius Ayetey Labi of the Ghana Health Service and Prof. Patrick Asuming of the University of Ghana emphasized the need for targeted interventions to bridge intra- and inter-regional disparities in healthcare access. They called for equitable resource distribution to improve health outcomes across all districts.
Prof. Samuel Kobina Annim, Government Statistician, reaffirmed the GSS’s commitment to providing reliable data to guide policy decisions, stating that additional reports on domestic violence, women’s empowerment, alcohol use, immunisation, and cancer screening will be released by the end of February.
UNICEF, represented by Mr. Paul Henry Dsane-Aidoo, commended GSS for its efforts and called on stakeholders to translate data insights into concrete policy actions that improve lives rather than merely using the information for monitoring purposes.
