Child Development in Ghana

The infographic I have created represents child development in the context of my project population. Below is a description of each visual:

1. Despite the progress Ghana has made in establishing universal access to education, thousands of children are still unable to attend school. Children with disabilities make up a high percentage of this population. According to the 2010 national census, 1 in 5, or 20%, of children with disabilities are not attending school. This estimate is likely low as many are not counted as “out-of-school” or “school going” children. Of those who are able to access education, many have irregular attendance and oftentimes drop out.
2. Anas Aremeyaw Anas is a Ghanaian journalist who uses his anonymity to investigate corruption in Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa. “Spirit Child” looks into the ritual killings of Ghanaian children with disabilities. Anas investigates the practice, which is the consequence of the belief that these children are possessed by evil spirits. The number of killings per year is unknown, but some estimate it could be thousands. His work exposed the prevalence of this practice and put into action legal repercussions for those involved. In 2018, he reflected on his work: “For me, it is a good story when the bad guy is named, shamed and put in jail…Many people have gone to jail as a result of my work and I’m proud of it.”
3. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 provides a comprehensive assessment of the prevalence for developmental disabilities among children younger than 5 years in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2016. A 58.4% increase in children with disabilities was found in Ghana from 1990 (241,529) to 2016 (373,912). The authors conclude that the global burden of developmental disabilities has not improved since 1990. It is also important to note that this is likely a great underestimate, as many parents are unable/unwilling to test their child for developmental disabilities.
4. Ghana was the first country in the word to ratify the treaty following the International Convention on the Rights of the Children by the United Nations on February 5, 1990. The rights of children were later defined in the Ghanaian Constitution of 1992 and were reinforced by the Children’s Act of 1998. In 2006, Ghana passed the Persons with Disability Act 2006, act 715, the country’s first law aimed to protect the rights of persons with disabilities. There is still, however, not a policy in place to address the process of screening children for disabilities or placing them in a special education program.
5. While there has been an expansion of rehabilitation programs in Ghana, the total number of practicing rehabilitation professionals is still limited. Professor Ellen Adomako from the Occupational Therapy Program at the University of Ghana estimates that there are currently three practicing occupational therapists, four speech and language pathologists, and approximately 200 physiotherapists in Ghana.