Ghana needs $96 million to achieve universal access to primary education

Ho, June 30, GNA - Ghana needs about 96 million dollars to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on universal access to primary education. Ms Marian Kpakpah, acting Executive Director of the National Population Council, stated this at an advocacy seminar on population and development for parliamentarians in Ho. She said the rapid growth of the country's population has made health, education, housing and other social services woefully inadequate to meet the needs of the teeming population. "It is generally accepted that the economy has to grow at least three times the growth rate of the population in order to improve the quality of life."

"The estimated population growth rate of 2.2 per cent in 2009, with the economic growth rate of 5.7 per cent, has implications for the country's vision in attaining a middle income status," Ms Kpakpah said. She said the rapid population growth rate and the unmet needs for family planning would have detrimental effects on development and quality of life in the country.

Ms Kpakpah therefore charged policy makers and stakeholders to rise up to the task and address population issues for accelerated growth and poverty reduction in the country.

She said though there had been key milestones signifying political commitment to population management, more needed to be done to ensure the quality of life of the Ghanaian. Ms Kpakpah advocated the integration of population policy into development planning and implementation processes to resolve issues of inadequate social amenities.