SDGs Progress in Ghana

By Pearl Offeibea Twum, Selamawit Mehari, and Justin Bingura

Edited by SNU ARIC

Overview

Background

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are universal goals aim towards a safe and sustainable environment for all humans to thrive on the planet. Both developed and developing countries are expected to have a common reasonability for playing their part to achieve this global vision. The state of the development and circumstances of countries influence the degree of attention, effort and implementation they will give to the different goals and indicators. The scopes measured by SDGs are overarching and go from poverty reduction in all its forms, to sustainable economic growth, environment preservation, climate mitigation commitment and global partnerships. 


Selected Countries 

Ghana, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Rwanda

Justification for Selection 

a. Same Continent and Developing Countries 

b. They encounter similar challenges, including income inequality and/or widespread poverty, low education and literacy levels, inadequate infrastructure, and government corruption

Justification for selection for indicators

a. Criteria: the applicability, implementability and the transformational impact (both in the country concerned and for the world as a whole)

b. Selected Goals and Indicators have been prioritised by the selected countries

c. Significance in the context of the selected Countries

d. The necessary data was currently available

SDG 1 : No Poverty 

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Poverty Headcount Ratio

The graph below depicts the estimated percentage of the population that is living under the poverty threshold of US$1.90 per day from 2010 to 2020 in Ghana as compared Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. The estimated measure was based on historical estimates of the income distribution, projections of population and GDP projections. 

SDG 2 : Zero Hunger

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Prevalence of undernourishment and Prevalence of stuning in children under 5 years of age

As shown below, graphs depicts the percentage of the population whose food intake is insufficient to meet dietary energy requirements in Ghana as compared to Ethiopia, Zimbabwe,Nigeria and Rwanda from 2010 to 2020 and that of children up to the age of 5 years that are stunted, measured as the percentage that fall below minus two standard deviations from the median height for their age, according to the WHO Child Growth Standards. Dietary energy requirements are defined as the amount of dietary energy required by an individual to maintain body functions, health and normal activity, FAO et al. (2015). 

Prevalence of obesity,BMI>-30

The graph below shows the percentage of the adult population that has a body mass index (BMI) of 30kg/m² or higher, based on measured height and weight in Ghana, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. 

Human trophic level

Trophic levels are a measure of the energy intensity of diet composition and reflect the relative amounts of plants as opposed to animals eaten in a given country. A higher trophic level represents a greater level of consumption of energy-intensive animals. 

Cerial yield tonnes per hectare of harvested land

The graph depicts the cereal yield, measured as tonnes per hectare of harvested land for the countries from 2010 to 2018. NB: This production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only and excludes crops harvested for hay or green for food, feed, or silage and those used for grazing. 

Sustainble Nitrogen Management indexbest (0-1.41 worst)

The ranking scores that combines two efficiency measures in crop production thats Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and land use efficiency (crop yield) of Ghana as compared to Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda in Sustainable Nitrogen Management Index (SNMI) of one-dimensional ranking for the period 2007 to 2015. 

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Maternal mortality rate per 100,000 live births and Mortality rate, under-5 per 1,000 live births

The graphs below show the estimated number of women, between the age of 15-49, who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, per 100,000 live births and the probability that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year, per 1,000 live births.s in Ghana from 2010 to 2018 as compared to Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. 

Neonatal mortality rate per 1,000 live births

The bubble graph below compares number of newborn infants (neonates) who die before reaching 28 days of age, per 1,000 live births in Ghana with those in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda from 2010 to 2020. 

New HIV infections per 1,000 uninfected population

The number of people newly infected with HIV per 1,000 uninfected population in Ghana as compared to Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda for the period 2010 to 2020 is shown below. 

Incidence of tuberculosis per 100,000 population

The estimated rates of new and relapse cases of tuberculosis from 2010 to 2020, expressed per 100,000 people in Ghana as compared to Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda are shown in the graph above. NB: All forms of tuberculosis are included, including cases of people living with HIV. 

Age-standardized death rate due to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory

This indicator measures the probability of dying between the ages of 30 and 70 years from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory diseases, thus the percent of 30-year-old-people who would die before their 70th birthday from these diseases, assuming current mortality rates at every age and that individuals would not die from any other cause of death. The graph below compares the data from Ghana, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda for the period 2010 to 2017. 

Life expectancy at birth (years)

The average number of years that a newborn could expect to live, if he or she were to pass through life exposed to the sex- and age-specific death rates prevailing at the time of his or her birth, for the period 2010, 2015, 2019 and 2020 in Ghana, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. 

Traffic deaths per 100,000 population

As shown below, the graph indicates the estimated number of fatal road traffic injuries per 100,000 people in Ghana from 2010 to 2020 compared to Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. 

Adolescent fertility rate

(births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19)

The number of births per 1,000 women between the age of 15 to 19 for each country are indicated in the graph above. 

Births attended by skilled health personnel(%)

The percentage of births attended by personnel trained to give the necessary supervision, care, and advice to women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period, to conduct deliveries on their own, and to care for newborns. 

Subjective well-being (average ladder score, worst 0-10 best)

Subjective self-evaluation of life, where respondents are asked to evaluate where they feel they stand on a ladder where 0 represents the worst possible life and 10 the best possible life. 


Universal health coverage (UHC) index of service coverage

(worst 0-100 best)

The pie chart shows the coverage of essential health services in each of the country. Thus, the average coverage of essential services based on tracer interventions that include reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases and service capacity and access, among the general and the most disadvantaged population. The indicator is an index reported on a unitless scale of 0 to 100, which is computed as the geometric mean of 14 tracer indicators of health service coverage. 

SDG 4: Quality Education 

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong education for all

Net primary enrollment rate (%)

The graph shows percentage of children of the official school age population who are enrolled in primary education in Ghana for the period 2010 to 2020 as compared to the Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. 

Lower secondary completion rate (%)

Lower secondary education completion rate measured as the gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary education. 


SDG 5: Gender Equality 

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Demand for family planning satisfied by modern methods % of females aged 15 to 49

The graph shows the percentage of women of reproductive age whose demand for family planning has been met using modern methods of contraception in Ghana for the period 2010 to 2020 as compared the percentage of women in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. 

Ratio of female-to-male mean years of education received (%)

The graph shows the mean years of education received by women aged 25 and older divided by the mean years of education received by men aged 25 and older in Ghana compared to Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. 

Ratio of female-to-male labor force participation rate (%)

The graph shows modeled estimate of the proportion of the female population aged 15 years and older that is economically active, divided by the same proportion for men in Ghana compared to Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. 

Seats held by women in national parliament (%)

The graph shows the comparison in number of seats held by women in single or lower chambers of Ghana's parliament which is expressed as a percentage of all occupied seats to that of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda from 2010 to 2020. NB:Seats refer to the number of parliamentary mandates, or the number of members of parliament. 

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation 

Ensure availabilty and sustainable management of water and sanitation

Scarce water consumption embodied in imports (m³/capita)

Water scarcity is measured as water consumption weighted by scarcity indices. 

Population using at least basic drinking water services (%) and basic sanitation services (%)

The graph shows percentage of the population using at least a basic sanitation service, such as an improved sanitation facility that is not shared with other households and the percentage of the population using at least a basic drinking water service, such as drinking water from an improved source, provided that the collection time is not more than 30 minutes for a round trip, including queuing in Ghana from 2010 to 2017 and 2010 to 2013 respectively compared to that of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. 

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Population with access to electricity (%)

The graph below shows the percentage of the population who has access to electricity in Ghana from 2010 to 2018 as compared to that of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. 

SDG 8: Decent Jobs and Economic Growth 

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Adults with an account at a bank or other finicing institions or with a mobile-money-service provider(% of population aged 15 or over)

The graph below depicts the percentage of adults, 15 years and older, who report having an account (by themselves or with someone else) at a bank or another type of financial institution, or who have personally used a mobile money service within the past 12 months in Ghana, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. 

Unemployment rate(% of total labor force)

The graph shows the estimatede share of the labor force that is without work but is available and actively seeking employment in Ghana from 2010 to 2020 as compared to that of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda for the same period. NB:The indicator reflects the inability of an economy to generate employment for people who want to work but are not doing so. 

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Build resilient in infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Population using the internet (%)

The series plot shows percentage of the population who used the Internet from Ghana compared to Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda in the last three months of 2010 to 2020. NB: Access could be via a fixed or mobile network. 


Logistics Performance Index: Quality of trade and transport-related infrastructure (worst 1-5 best)

Survey-based average assessment of the quality of trade and transport related infrastructure, e.g. ports, roads, railroads and information technology, on a scale from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) for Ghana compared to Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda is shown above. 

Mobile broadband subscriptions (per 100 population)

The number of mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 population for Ghana from 2010 to 2020 as compared to that of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda are shown in the scatter plot above.

NB:Mobile broadband subscriptions refer to subscriptions to mobile cellular networks with access to data communications (e.g. the Internet) at broadband speeds, irrespective of the device used to access the internet.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities 

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable

Proportion of urban population living in slums (%)

Population living in slums is the proportion of the urban population living in slum households in Ghana in comparison to that of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda from 2010 to 2018. 

Annual mean concentration of particulate matter of less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) μg/m³

The Air pollution measured as the population-weighted mean annual concentration of PM2.5 for the urban population in Ghana, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda are shown below. 

Access to improved water source, piped (% of urban population)

The percentage of the urban population with access to improved drinking water piped on their premises in Ghana compared to that of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda from 2010 to 2017 are indicated below. 

Satisfaction with public transport (%)

The graph below shows the percentage of the surveyed population who are satisfied with the city or area where they live in Ghana as compared to Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. 


SDG 13: Climate Action 

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion and cement production (tCO2/capita) and embodied in imports (tCO₂/capita)

The emissions from the combustion and oxidation of fossil fuels and from cement production and CO₂ emissions embodied in imported goods and services in Ghana as compared to that of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda are depicted in the bar and line graphs below. 

SDG 14: Life Below Water

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development

Mean area that is protected in marine sites important to biodiversity(%)

The graph shows the mean percentage area of marine Key Biodiversity Areas (sites that are important for the global persistence of marine biodiversity) that are protected in Ghana as compared to that of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda from 2010 to 2019. 

SDG 15: Life on Land 

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and reserve land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Mean area that is protected in terrestrial and freshwater sites important to biodiversity(%)

The graphs shows mean percentage area of terrestrial and fresh water main biodiversity areas of Ghana as compared to that of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda from 2010 to 2019. 

Red List Index of species survival (%)

The bubble graph depicts the change in aggregate extinction risk across groups of species in Ghana as compared to that of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. 

SDG 16: Peace and Justice-Strong Institutions 

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive instructions at all levels

Homicides(per 100,000 population)

The estimates of unlawful homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups in Ghana as compared to that of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. 

Unsentenced detainees(% of prison population)

The percentage of persons held unsentenced or pre-trial in prisons, awaiting a first instance decision on their case from a competent authority regarding their conviction or acquittal in Ghana as compared to unsetenced detainees in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda are depicted by the heat map below. 

Property Rights(worst 1-7 best)

The graph shows the assessment of protection of property rights in Ghana as compared to that of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda from 2017 to 2020, on a scale from 1 (worst) to 7 (best). 

Press Freedom Index(best 0-100 worst)

The grapgh below shows the degree of freedom available to journalists in Ghana as comapred to that of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda from 2013 to 2020. 

Corruption Perception Index(worst 0-100 best)

The perceived levels of public sector corruption, on a scale from 0 (highest level of perceived corruption) to 100 (lowest level of perceived corruption) in Ghana compared to Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda from 2012 to 2020 are indicated below. 

Access to and affordability of justice(worst 0–1 best)

The pie chart shows the measures of accessibility and affordability of civil courts, including awareness of available remedies; access and afford legal advice and representation; and can access the court system without incurring unreasonable fees, encountering unreasonable procedural hurdles, or experiencing physical or linguistic barriers in Ghana as compared to that of Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. 

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

Statistical Performance Index (worst 0-100 best)

The graph below shows the weighted average of the statistical performance indicators that evaluate the performance of national statistical systems of Ghana as compared to Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Rwanda. NB:It aggregates five pillars of statistical performance: data use, data services, data products, data sources, and data infrastructure. 

Conclusion

The Government of Ghana, businesses, civil society organisations and other actors have rallied around the SDGs, making them a priority in Ghana’s development. The multi-stakeholder approach has yielded progress in some critical areas of the country’s development. For example, gender parity has been achieved in primary schools, maternal mortality and overweight has declined, access to water has increased, and Ghana has made a significant progress in achieving universal access to electricity. Notwithstanding these achievements, there are many areas that need urgent attention. Majority of the population lack access to basic sanitation services, access to decent jobs remains a challenge, income inequality is on the rise, and the menace of illegal mining is destroying large tracts of forest and water bodies. Also, some progress made by the country has been affected by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. GDP growth is sharply down, businesses are under the strain, government finances have been badly affected, while health services and infrastructure continue to be under serious stress, among others. Poverty is projected to rise, reversing a decade’s achievements of lifting people out of poverty. In order for Ghana to have a good chance to the SDGs, there is the need to take many innovative and creative initiatives. 

References