The Executive Director of National Population Council (NPC), Dr Leticia Adelaide Appiah, has warned that uncontrolled population growth would have dire consequences on public health, environment, economy, education, social infrastructure and overall development of the state.
According to her, population growth must correspond with development, but if the nexus between these factors disconnects, it becomes a recipe for disaster.
Speaking at a workshop organised for journalists in Accra last week, Dr Appiah indicated that the current environmental degradation, particularly illegal mining (galamsey), which the country is facing has everything to do with uncontrolled population growth, which does not match Ghana’s development.
She said people are finding it difficult to fit into the system and, therefore, had to rely on whatever means to survive and causing threats to the environment, water and other facets of life.
Dr Appiah said although population growth is as a result of small decisions taken by individuals – termed as “tragedy of the commons”- to have large or small family size, can cause a tremendous ripple effect on the country’s development.
She explained that the likelihood of parents with large family to fault on their parental obligation is high and that could result in children from such homes engaging in social vices and other practices that endanger the security of the country.
Dr Appiah added that that social fabric would be destroyed because it is impossible for any grandparent to pass on culture to his or her grandchildren if they are so many.
By a simple calculation, she said a family with four children, by three generations, had increased the population by 68 people.
As a result of ballooned population size, she asserted that instead of the country improving on its social infrastructure, it would be making adjustment to accommodate more people.
The NPC Executive Director proposed that the government through social policy can put a ceiling on the number of children individuals can have, citing China as a shining an example.
She argued that the government, as part of birth control policy could provide financial and social assistance to up to three children and anything above it must be the sole responsibility of the family. She also called on society to frown on childbearing below the age 18 years and above 35 years.
The workshop
She mentioned that the ultimate goal of the workshop was knowledge sharing between the NPC and the inky fraternity, to develop the needed communication tools for behavioral change.
Since knowledge sharing and use is key to development, she said “It is the main engine for the development of any individual or nation and no responsible family, community or government would neglect its education or knowledge sharing practices, be it formal, informal or function.”
