Health care is Ghana?s biggest concern

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A better health care system has topped the list of priorities that many Ghanaians want addressed to improve the quality of life for them and their family, a survey by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has said.

In the month-long survey conducted across the country between April and May 2013, the GSS said the six priorities identified in the survey should form the basis for the next development agenda and planning processes as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) project draws to a close in the next two years.

The survey, tagged My World, was based on the Ghana Living Standards Survey 6 framework and funded by the UN Millennium Campaign team as part of a global citizen survey to capture people?s voices, priorities and views — so that leaders can be informed as they begin the process of defining a new global development agenda.

?The top-six priorities that matter to Ghanaians most now include better healthcare, access to clean water and sanitation, better job opportunities, good education, better transport and roads as well as reliable energy at home,? said Ebo Duncan, the lead researcher.

He explained that the nature and scope of the survey throws weight behind other issues that matter to people but are not covered under the present MDGs and other policy programmes.

?If you take these priorities, they are developmental in nature. It has security and social issues while the current MDGs basically cover social issues. So this is an addition to the MDGs. The scope has been widened now to include issues like good governance and the environment,? he said.

?The overall assessment of the survey suggests a need for a forum to share this report with partners, government and UN systems. There is indeed need to interrogate the least score or least important [concern], including climate change, ICT and governance.

?Consequently, government and development partners need to note priorities of respondents: i.e., investigate further why governance issues like transparency, corruption and accountability ranked low even though good governance was identified as one of the three top priorities,? the report said.

By Evans Boah-Mensah

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