Ghana’s fertility rate remains higher than the level considered favourable for transitioning from a low-income to a high-income economy, placing increasing pressure on public infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and roads, Reproductive Health Specialist Dr Godfred Bonnah Nkansah has warned. Citing the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, Dr Nkansah said the country’s fertility rate of 3.9 meant that the average woman was having nearly four children over her lifetime.
He explained that evidence from countries that had successfully transitioned from low-income to high-income status suggested that fertility rates between 2.1 and 2.8 children per woman were more conducive to economic development, allowing families to invest adequately in each child and build the human capital needed for national progress. “At our current 3.9, we are about 1.1 more than where we are supposed to be. That calls for greater efforts to provide reproductive health education and services to both men and women,” he said.
Dr Nkansah made the remarks during a one-day training session for journalists on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and responsible reporting, organised by the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR). The training formed part of ARHR’s efforts to promote informed public discussions on SRHR and strengthen accurate, ethical and evidence-based media coverage. It also provided journalists with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of key SRHR issues, emerging misinformation and narratives surrounding reproductive health and gender.
Fertility rate refers to the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime. The global average stands at 2.4 children per woman, compared with 4.6 in sub-Saharan Africa, where fertility levels remain considerably higher.
Dr Nkansah warned that Ghana’s current fertility rate had far-reaching implications for national development, with existing educational infrastructure struggling to accommodate the growing population.
He said the pressure on schools could undermine the quality of education and weaken human capital development, as public investments in educational facilities struggled to keep pace with rising demand.
The situation, he added, was equally evident in the health sector, where hospitals were frequently overwhelmed by the number of patients seeking care.
Dr. Godfred Bonnah Nkansah, a reproductive health specialist, spoke at a one-day media training on sexual and reproductive health organized by Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights. He highlighted that our hospitals are often overcrowded, which leads to the “no-bed syndrome.” This situation arises because the number of people exceeds the capacity of our current hospitals. Additionally, he noted that the country’s increasing fertility rate puts pressure on road infrastructure.
Dr. Nkansah warned that if no action is taken, poverty could rise, as the government would struggle to meet the socio-economic needs of a growing population. He emphasized that his message is not advocating for a specific family size, but rather encouraging individuals to have a number of children that they can adequately care for.
Senior media practitioner Linda Asante-Agyei urged fellow media professionals to use their platforms to educate parents about the importance of providing sex education to their adolescent children. She stressed that sex education is crucial and encouraged separating scientific facts from public opinions regarding adolescent health and sexual reproduction.
