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Ghana has risen four places in the latest Human Development Index (HDI) of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
From the previous 142nd position in 2018 to the new 138th in 2019, out of 189 countries, Ghana’s HDI value also increased from 0.465 points to 0.611 points between 1990 and 2019, representing an increase of 31.4%.
The HDI is an average measure of basic human development achievements in a country that assesses long-term progress in three basic dimensions of human development, namely: life expectancy, access to education, and a decent standard of living.
While Ghana’s life expectancy at birth increased by 7.3 years to 64.1 years, the mean years of schooling increased by 2.4 years (to 7.3 years), while the expected years of schooling increased in 3.9 years (to 11.5 years), the report revealed.
In the same period, the country’s per capita Gross National Income (GNI) increased by approximately 127.6%, standing at $ 5,269 in 2019.
Nonetheless, the report projected that Ghana was likely to experience a setback in human development for the first time in 30 years in the 2021 Human Development Report (HDI) due to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in all facets. development. year.
Dissemination
The report’s findings were released at a conference organized by UNDP Ghana in Accra last Wednesday.
This year’s report, which marks the 30th anniversary of the UNDP HDI, is titled “The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene.”
Comparison
A UNDP economic advisor in Ghana, Fredrick Mugisha, who led the presentation, said that Ghana’s 2019 HDI value of 0.611 was below the average of 0.631 for countries in the medium human development group but above average. 0.547 for sub-Saharan countries. Africa.
He noted that the 2019 HDI analysis had been adjusted to include two more elements: a country’s carbon dioxide emissions and its material footprint, described in the report as “planetary pressures.”
“The report shows that Ghana is doing very well. Ghana’s education component has been increasing, as has the income component and life expectancy. What we have to do is focus more on the other components, which are planetary pressure and gender inequality, ”he said.
Mugisha said that although the full impact of COVID-19 on human development progress had not yet been established, the 2021 report was projected to record a recession in Ghana’s HDI performance in 2020.
Environmental degradation
In response to the report, UNDP Resident Representative in Ghana, Dr. Angela Lusigi, expressed concern that although the proportion of Ghanaians living in poverty had decreased, problems of environmental degradation and climate change persisted.
He said the time had come for Ghana to “make the right decisions” to achieve equitable and lasting prosperity for all generations.
“In 2017, environmental degradation cost Ghanaian society up to $ 6.3 billion, equivalent to 10.7 percent of GDP. By 2030, 400,000 more people could fall into poverty due to climate change. This is important because Ghana’s population and economy are still highly dependent on natural resources for jobs, livelihoods and services, ”he said.
Dr. Lusigi commended the government for its “comprehensive response” to the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of the Ghana COVID-19 Business Relief and Revitalization Program (Ghana CARES) to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on businesses. and livelihoods.
Government Statistician Professor Samuel Kobina Annim revealed that the 2021 Population and Housing Census would also collect relevant data on the environment, including sanitation, to guide planning as well as policy formulation and implementation.
“Unlike the housing component that we had since 2010, starting in 2020 we will obtain data that will help us better understand, for example, how to distinguish between the interface and the containment of the sanitary facilities we use. This is the wealth of data that we are bringing to the fore when it comes to the 2021 Population and Housing Census, ”he said.
Source: graphiconline.com
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