On Thursday, 24th February 2022, the Ghana Statistical Service released the final five volumes of the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) at the Accra International Conference Centre. The release was cochaired by the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Mrs. Cecilia Abena Dapaah and the Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye (MP) whose sectors statistics were presented in three of the five reports released.
The Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Kobina Annim presented highlights from the General Report Volume 3G: Information and Communication Technology; 3H: Fertility and Mortality; 3K: Housing Characteristics; 3M: Water and Sanitation; and 3N: Structures and concluded with some key takeaways from the presentation.
Prof. Annim first reiterated the concern that “levels of open defaecation had dropped marginally in approximately two decades” from 20.2% in 2000 to 17.7% in 2021. From the findings on housing, Prof Annim noted that “The upward trend in housing deficit since 1960, has been reversed by 33 percent since 2000”
He then highlighted the concern that digital inclusion is happening mainly through mobile phone ownership and use and not laptops or desktop computers before presenting the decline in fertility. Finally, he concluded by touching on the disparities observed in these reports by region, type of locality (urban/rural) and gender that is consistent with findings from earlier reports.
Following the presentation, the Co-Chairpersons gave their remarks both focusing on the relevance of the data for development planning and policy and their commitment to collaborating with the Statistical Service to ensure uptake of the census data for decision-making in their respective sectors.
Mrs. Cecilia Abena Dapaah stated “I am confident that the data collected also provide up to-date indicators for monitoring the sector’s policies and programmes. Further analysis of the data will enhance targeting and priority setting in the collective efforts to attain adequate, clean and reliable water supply as well as a decent environment for all.”
Francis Asenso-Boakye on his part stated that “the Ministry of Works and Housing will engage further with the Statistical Service on the production of analytical reports that will seek to answer policy-relevant research questions for the housing sector.” He also noted “the Government of Ghana is prioritising access to affordable housing for persons in Ghana. In this regard, he urged the private sector to utilise this rich data for their decision-making to better serve the housing needs of the population.”
In attendance were staff of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), participants from 16 different countries in Accra attending a UNECA Census Workshop on Good Practice in Digital Censuses hosted by GSS, and a wide variety of stakeholders from the public and private sectors, academia, civil society and development partners.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana