Ghana loses more than GHS 6.2 billion each year due to diseases linked to improper waste disposal and inadequate sanitation, a new report by the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana has revealed.
The findings were shared during a stakeholder forum at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, on February 26, bringing together ministers, Members of Parliament, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly officials, development partners, private sector actors, and civil society and academic representatives.
Prof. Ebo Turkson delivered the welcome address, stressing the urgent need to prioritise sanitation investments, as they affect public health, environmental sustainability, national productivity, and the dignity of Ghanaians.
The research, led by Prof. Peter Quartey and Dr. Kwame Adjei-Mantey, titled “An Economic Analysis of the Benefits of Adequate Investment in Waste Management and Sanitation in Ghana”, explored the economic, social, and environmental consequences of Ghana’s current sanitation practices. It found that five major diseases—malaria, cholera, pneumonia, typhoid fever, and diarrhoea—are responsible for nearly 31.9 million lost workdays each year and an estimated 177,222 deaths.
Direct medical expenses related to poor sanitation were estimated at GHS 5.8 billion annually, with an additional GHS 650 million lost due to reduced productivity. Despite these costs, Ghana currently spends only about GHS 38 per tonne of waste generated—an amount researchers describe as modest relative to the severity of the issue.
The study’s cost-benefit analysis showed that for every GHS 1 currently invested in waste management, approximately GHS 180 is returned in economic benefits. In an optimal scenario—where investment rises to GHS 1,028 per tonne, in line with lower-middle-income benchmarks—returns could climb to GHS 556 for every GHS 1 invested. Projected national gains under this enhanced investment framework could hit GHS 58 billion in 2025 and increase to GHS 67.2 billion by 2032, driven largely by fewer disease cases, lower mortality, and reduced productivity losses.
Prof. Quartey urged a shift in perspective on sanitation funding. “Sanitation and waste management must be seen as high-return investments, not social obligations that receive leftover funding,” he said.
The study also called for substantial increases in sanitation financing, focused interventions in high-risk and densely populated areas, and stronger budgeting and data systems within local government bodies. Stakeholders at the event engaged in discussions aimed at repositioning sanitation as a central pillar of national development, acknowledging that coordinated efforts could boost public health, workforce productivity, environmental sustainability, and economic growth.
