Ghana

Social, cultural, and economic factors contribute to the ways in which motherhood is practiced and perceived in Ghana. Because Ghana is considered a developing country, there is a need to improve infant and mortality rates.

In Ghanaian society, a woman's status is linked to her fertility. The more children she has, the higher her status increases. Infertile women, however, may be socially stigmatized because they are [Page 452]not able to further their lineages. In this context, fertility rates are relatively high in Ghana. The U.S. Census estimates the total fertility rate (number of births per woman) was 4.7 in 1995 and decreased slightly to 3.8 in 2008.

Despite the high fertility rates, Ghana faces several health-related issues that affect mothers and their children. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) shows a maternal mortality rate ratio of 210 (per 100,000 live births) from 2000 to 2006. This number was adjusted in 2005 to indicate a more accurate number of 560. The 2006 World Health Organization statistics show an infant mortality rate of 68 (per 1,000 live births) and a neonatal mortality rate of 27 (per 1,000 live births). Socioeconomic factors contributing to these rates are: maternal education, disease and health issues (such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and malaria), water and sanitation facilities, and nutrition. UNICEF's 2004 statistics show that one-fourth of Ghana's total population does not have access to safe drinking water, and 18 percent lack sanitation facilities.

Contributing sociocultural factors to infant and maternal health include food taboos and traditional rural practices such as home births. Depending on the ethnic group and context, certain food taboos deprive infants and mothers of vital nourishment. Poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment contribute to women's reduced power in making decisions regarding family planning, contraceptive use, and childrearing practices. Increasing maternal education is one way of improving infant and maternal mortality rates, but education rates are lower for women. According to the Ghanaian Ministry of Health, in 1993 38.3 percent of females had no education. In 2003 the number decreased to 28.2 percent. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 2006 statistics indicate that adult literacy rates for females (aged 15 and older) were 57.2 percent, and 74.8 percent for female youth (aged 15–24 years). This is compared to adult males at 71.2 percent and male youth at 79.2 percent.