The Ghana Social Development Outlook (GSDO) 2024, has raised red flags over declining basic education enrolment and ongoing healthcare infrastructure gaps, despite several government policies and major investments in both sectors.

The flagship social development tracker, launched on Thursday in Accra by the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana, provides a data-driven analysis of Ghana’s progress in key social indicators, including education and health.

It calls for urgent policy reforms and deeper stakeholder collaboration to sustain gains and reverse worrying trends.

Presenting highlights of the GSDO 2024 Report, Dr. Martha A. Awo, Senior Research Fellow and Head, Social Division of ISSER, revealed troubling signs at the foundational levels of Ghana’s school system.

She said while the Net Enrolment Rate (NER) at the Senior High School (SHS) level surged from below 30% in 2017 to 70% between 2019 and 2020, enrolment at the Junior High School (JHS) level dropped from 50% to 45% over the same period.

Similarly, Dr. Awo said primary school enrolment—previously as high as 91%—has declined to an average of 80%, indicating poor transition rates and a neglect of the basic education sector.

“The decline in enrolment at the JHS and primary levels is a reflection of a situation of taking our eyes off basic education,” the report warns.

The analysis identifies delays in disbursing capitation grants and non-payment of school feeding caterers as critical bottlenecks.

With caterers receiving just GH¢0.90 per child, the report deems it "woefully inadequate" for providing a nutritious meal, further compromising school attendance and retention.

The chapter on Education commends policies that have improved access for girls and recommends scaling up such interventions. However, it cautions against over-reliance on high-visibility policies like the Free SHS Programme (FSHSP) at the expense of foundational education.

Key Education Recommendations

• Ensure balanced funding across all education levels
• Address the access-versus-quality gap
• Initiate a national conversation on sustainable financing for Free SHS
• Improve stakeholder engagement
• Implement robust monitoring and evaluation systems

Agenda 111: Promise of healthcare equity vs delays

In the health sector, the report describes Ghana's healthcare system as still vulnerable, with stark infrastructure gaps exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It said 88 out of 216 districts lacked well-resourced hospitals as of 2020, prompting the launch of the Agenda 111 project—the ambitious plan to build and upgrade hospitals across the country.

As of May 2024, 92 facilities were under various stages of construction, and according to the report, full implementation of the project would require the recruitment of over 68,000 healthcare professionals.

Despite land acquisition and resourcing challenges, the project is expected to:

• Reduce travel time to healthcare centres to 30 minutes
• Improve quality and accessibility of services
• Boost local economies and potentially position Ghana as a hub for medical tourism

Importantly, the report notes that the project has bipartisan support, increasing its chances of continuity across election cycles.

Among other things, the report recommends

• Fast-track completion of ongoing facilities
• Strengthen project management and accountability
• Accelerate staff recruitment and training
• Improve communication with communities, and
• Maintain cross-party consensus for continuity

The Ghana Social Development Outlook 2024 urges stakeholders to go beyond policy announcements and address systemic weaknesses in the delivery of essential social services.

“Whether in education or health, policy without sustained investment, equity, and accountability will not deliver long-term transformation,” the report cautions.