Air pollution now kills more Ghanaians annually than HIV/AIDS, malaria, and road traffic accidents combined. In 2023, approximately 32,500 Ghanaians died from air pollution-related diseases, with 12,790 deaths recorded among persons aged 50 to 85. From 2014 to 2023, adults over age 65 in Ghana experienced 5.7 times more heatwave days than the equivalent demographic from 1986 to 2005. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 increases dementia risk by 40%. COPD prevalence in Ghana has tripled, rising from 0.1 million to 0.3 million cases. This investigative feature follows the lives of older Ghanaians whose health is being silently eroded by air pollution, extreme heat, and environmental degradation. It analyses the epidemiological data, documents the harmattan health crisis, and examines the policy failures that leave older persons unprotected. As the UN drafts a new treaty on the rights of older persons, this investigation reveals what is at stake for Ghana’s elderly population.
Browsing: Policy Intelligence
Analysis of government policies, economic decisions, development programs, and institutional reforms shaping Ghana and Africa.
Ghana’s Communications Minister Sam George has challenged FBI Director Kash Patel’s account of a major cybercrime crackdown in Ghana. The operation reportedly resulted in more than 130 arrests or detentions, 89 identified victims and nearly US$10 million in suspected fraud-related losses, raising questions about Ghana’s leadership, international cooperation and the prosecution of alleged cybercriminals.
Africa contributes relatively little to global greenhouse-gas emissions but faces disproportionate climate risks. As Ethiopia prepares to host COP32, African negotiators are pushing for greater climate finance, stronger bargaining power and a development-centred green transition. But the central question remains: can Africa turn climate diplomacy into investment, industrialisation and measurable benefits for its people?
Of the nearly two million Ghanaians aged 60 and above, fewer than 300,000 receive SSNIT pensions—a coverage rate of just 5%. SSNIT coverage ranges from 0.2% in the Northern Region to 14% in Greater Accra. Social isolation stands at 27.3%, loneliness at 17.7%, and 48.7% of older Ghanaians with functional limitations face transportation barriers to healthcare. This investigative series follows the lives of older Ghanaians from the Ada East District to the Northern Region, documenting their experiences of neglect, isolation, and systemic exclusion. It analyses pension coverage data, healthcare access barriers, and LEAP enrolment statistics, featuring interviews with policymakers, civil society leaders, and older persons themselves. As the UN drafts a new treaty on the rights of older persons, this investigation reveals what is at stake for Ghana’s forgotten generation.
Of the over 2 million Ghanaians aged 60 and above, fewer than 300,000 receive SSNIT pensions—a coverage rate of just 5%. According to pension expert Paul Kofi Mante, 96% of those pensioners live on GH¢5,000 or less monthly. SSNIT coverage ranges from 0.2% in the Northern Region to 14% in Greater Accra. The minimum monthly pension of GH¢409.56 is dismissed by the Concerned SSNIT Pensioners Forum as “grossly inadequate” to even cover medication. This investigative feature follows the lives of former workers who contributed for decades but now face retirement in poverty, documenting the systemic failures of Ghana’s three-tier pension scheme. It analyses the GH¢3 billion government debt to SSNIT, the exclusion of the 80% informal sector workforce, and comparative pension models from South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Mauritius, and Namibia. As the UN drafts a new treaty on the rights of older persons, this investigation reveals what is at stake for Ghana’s retirees.
Suame MP John Darko challenges the government’s Tribunals Bill, arguing existing courts can deliver faster justice without new tribunals. This investigative report examines the constitutional debate, legal reforms, expert perspectives, and what the bill could mean for Ghana’s justice system.
President John Dramani Mahama begins a two-day Central Region tour, launching a 24-hour economy market in Assin Bereku, inspecting key road projects, commissioning a CHPS compound, visiting Cape Coast Castle, and holding a citizens’ town hall at Apam Junction focused on accountability, jobs, healthcare, and regional development.
President John Mahama has launched the Ghana National Research Fund with an initial GH¢100 million allocation to boost innovation, scientific research, technology development, agriculture, healthcare, and economic growth. This investigative report examines the opportunities, accountability concerns, expert insights, funding challenges, and the Fund’s potential impact on Ghana’s knowledge economy and industrial transformation.
More than 310,000 Ghanaian students have benefited from the No Fees Stress Policy as government allocates GH¢1.3 billion through the Student Loan Trust Fund. This in-depth investigative report examines the impact, challenges, sustainability concerns, support for students with disabilities, and what the flagship Mahama education initiative means for the future of tertiary education in Ghana.
President John Dramani Mahama has called for a new era in Ghana-EU relations focused on trade, investment, industrialisation, technology transfer and job creation. This in-depth investigative report examines Ghana’s economic recovery, the 24-Hour Economy Initiative, cocoa value addition, AfCFTA opportunities, digital transformation, security challenges in the Sahel, and how stronger Ghana-EU partnerships could drive Africa’s industrial future and sustainable economic growth.