Health in Ghana - Women's Health

Women's Health

The health of women in Ghana is critical for national development. Women’s health issues in the country are largely centered on nutrition, reproductive health and family planning. According to the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey report, 65% of pregnant women and 45% of non-pregnant women are malnourished in Ghana. Reproduction is the source of many health problems for women in Ghana. The Ghana Living Standards Survey Report of the Fifth Round revealed that only about 17% of women reported that they, or their partners, were using modern forms of contraception. This statistic has significant implications for the spread of HIV/AIDS, which currently affects 140,000 women in Ghana (of the 260,000 people living with the disease in the country). Interventions for improving the health of women in Ghana, such as the Ghana Reproductive Health Strategic Plan 2007-2011, focus on maternal morbidity and mortality, contraceptive use and family planning services, and total empowerment of women.