The General Overseer and Resident Pastor of the Charismatic Evangelistic Ministry, Rev. Steve Mensah, has expressed deep concern over the alarming rate of child deaths in Ghana, describing the numbers as “staggering, embarrassing”, and unacceptable for a nation seeking progress.
Speaking at the JoyNews National Dialogue on Investment in Newborn Health: Giving Preterm Babies a Strong Start, Rev. Mensah said the statistics on child mortality — particularly deaths within the first five years of life — were shocking and must not be treated as “just another set of numbers.”
“It’s the first time I’ve really heard about the data on how many children die within the first five years. The numbers are staggering. It’s like one and a half times a stadium full.
“We shouldn’t allow Prof’s data to become a conversation that fizzles out. We must take a critical look at the number of children we are losing and reduce it as much as we can,” he said.
Rev. Mensah stressed that the figures should trigger urgent national action, noting that Ghana spends significant resources on many areas, yet the protection of human life — particularly the lives of children — should be treated as the highest priority.
“The numbers are embarrassing to the nation.”
Rev. Mensah’s comments follow a presentation by Prof. Alexander Manu, Director of the Institute of Health Research at UHAS, who revealed stark statistics on child survival in Ghana over the years.
Prof. Manu noted that in 2000, Ghana recorded 67,273 deaths of children under five, while in 2023 the figure had reduced to 32,579, indicating progress but still reflecting thousands of preventable deaths.
He explained that for newborns specifically, neonatal deaths stood at 25,193 in 2000, and 18,856 in 2023, a decline that nonetheless shows newborns continue to account for a significant share of child mortality.
Rev. Mensah urged policymakers, churches, civil society, and the health sector to unite in reducing these numbers, insisting that Ghana’s future depends on protecting its youngest citizens.
He warned that failing to act would mean losing not just children, but the potential leaders, innovators, and contributors to the nation’s development.
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