Ghana risks deepening inequality among children if it fails to invest more evenly across health, education, social protection and child welfare, according to a new UNICEF-backed study.
The report, Unlocking Potential Early: Rebalancing Public Spending for Children in Ghana, found that children aged between zero and five years account for about one-third of Ghana’s child population but receive only 13 percent of public spending targeted at children.
The study, described as the first age-based analysis of public spending on children in Ghana, examined investments from pregnancy through age 17 and assessed disparities based on household income and location.
Lead researcher and Managing Director of the Learning for Well-being Institute, Dominic Richardson, warned that underinvestment in key sectors creates weaknesses across the entire child support system.
“The issue when there is no balance in the policy portfolio is it creates weaknesses in the overall system that is designed to care for children,” he said.
According to Richardson, shortcomings in one sector can limit the effectiveness of investments in others.
“If you don’t have cash benefits, some children are too poor to access childcare services or healthcare. If you don’t have healthcare systems, some children will be too sick to go to school. When you don’t have child protection, more children end up in child labour,” he explained.
Spending Disparities Persist
The report found that children from wealthier households receive nearly twice as much public investment per person as children from poorer families.
It also highlighted significant disparities between rural and urban communities, particularly in access to education and essential services.
While Ghana has recorded progress in areas such as immunisation, under-five mortality and pre-primary school enrolment, the study identified ongoing challenges in child nutrition, birth registration, child poverty and protection from violence.
Public spending on children remains heavily concentrated in education, which accounted for 3.1 percent of GDP in 2023. In comparison, social protection received just 0.23 percent of GDP, health about 2 percent, and child protection only 0.03 percent.
Early Investment Could Transform Outcomes
UNICEF’s modelling suggests that increasing investment in children could generate significant social and economic benefits.
According to the study, a comprehensive package of interventions equivalent to 7.2 percent of GDP could eliminate child poverty within three years, prevent up to 18,000 premature child deaths, achieve universal vaccination coverage and improve school readiness across the country.
Richardson urged government to prioritise implementation of Ghana’s Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Policy, describing it as a strong framework that is already in place.
“I think there are two very simple things to do. The first is to implement the early childhood care development policy, which is already on the books in Ghana. It’s an excellent policy,” he said.
He also called for the introduction of a universal child benefit programme, beginning with the youngest children before expanding nationwide.
“That policy is shown to be one of the most effective policies anywhere in the world for delivering optimal child development,” Richardson added.
UNICEF believes that investing earlier and more equitably in children would help position Ghana as a leader in Africa in ensuring every child has an equal opportunity to survive, learn and thrive.
