UNDP reports Ghanaians living long
A report released by the United Nations Human Development Index has revealed that life expectancy in Ghana has increased by 11 years. This means that Ghanaians can live on average up to 64. 2 years.
The report titled “Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All” also ranked the country 135th out of 187 countries studied. In the 2010 report, Ghana was ranked 136th.
This year’s report which focused on the challenge of sustainable and equitable progress, uses a composite measure of three basic dimensions of human development; health (life expectancy), education and income.
A detailed analysis of the report’s Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) showed the country’s score marks in the areas of provision of clean water (12.2%), improved sanitation (29.9%) and a national poverty line of 28.5%.
It also puts the average years of schooling at 7.1 years and the expected years of schooling at 10.5 years, while Gross National Income (GNI) was put at $1,584. Ghana was also among the medium development countries in the index.
The UN Under-Secretary General, Ms Rebecca Grynspan, in her address, lauded Ghana’s efforts by climbing five spots in the development index rankings, but advised that more is needed to be done to improve.
Ms Grynspan noted that Ghana was chosen as the venue for the launch of the report here both to highlight the importance of its findings for Africa and also to bring attention to Ghana’s recent impressive human development progress.
“Over the last five years, Ghana has climbed five spots in the Human Development Index Rankings, reflecting that Ghanaians on average live longer, are more prosperous and are better educated and this progress has been faster than in any other country,” she added.
“So to increase 11 years since 1980 in life expectancy is really an achievement,” she said.
Launching the report, Vice President admitted that even though the country had achieved a lot of economic growth, it was important that development was accelerated for the growing needs of Ghanaians.
In order to achieve the required growth, the Vice President said government would strive to increase investment in areas including health care, social intervention, infrastructural development and education.
He said Ghana’s policies, including the Ghana Educational Trust Fund (GETFund), the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), had been vehicles that pushed growth.
Mr Mahama underscored that climate change was real and that the government would not sacrifice the environment for economic progress and indicated that government will still maintain the momentum in policies aimed at improving livelihood in Ghana.
By: e.tv Ghana
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