Ghana Health Updates: Ashanti Region Records Breastfeeding Gains While Officials Push for Enhanced Autism Data and Sanitation

Public health initiatives across Ghana are seeing significant milestones and renewed advocacy, ranging from nutritional improvements in the Ashanti Region to a national call for better disability data systems. In the Ashanti Region, health officials have reported a notable increase in exclusive breastfeeding rates among infants aged zero to three months, rising from 81.9% in 2024 to 83.8% in 2025. While the region is making strides toward its 95% target, Dr. Fred Adomako-Boateng has emphasized that achieving these goals requires a collective effort, specifically calling for the establishment of breastfeeding-friendly workplaces and dedicated lactation rooms to support working mothers.

Simultaneously, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, is advocating for a data-driven approach to neurodevelopmental health. During an annual Autism Workshop in Accra, the Minister underscored the necessity of robust data systems to properly serve individuals with autism. Viewing autism as a cross-cutting development issue, Dr. Lartey urged for stronger collaboration between the government, private sector, and civil society. This call was echoed by private sector partners like GTBank, who stressed the urgency of removing societal barriers through early diagnosis and inclusive support systems.

Environmental health and sanitation also took center stage as civil servants and local traders addressed pressing hygiene concerns. In Accra, civil servants organized a massive clean-up exercise within the Ministerial Enclave as part of the 2026 Civil Service Week. Under the theme 'The Resetting Agenda for Sustainable Development in Ghana,' staff from various agencies desilted drains and cleared refuse to promote a healthier working environment. Chief Director Ms. Suweibatu Adam noted that maintaining such cleanliness is vital for public health and national productivity.

However, the sanitation situation remains critical in other parts of the country, particularly at the Agomanya Market in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality. Local traders have intensified demands for the permanent relocation of an overflowing refuse dump that sits in the heart of the marketplace. Surrounded by food vendors, the dump has become a major health hazard, with traders citing offensive odors and the risk of disease as primary reasons for their protest. These combined developments highlight the ongoing challenges and successes in Ghana's health sector as the nation seeks to balance nutritional gains with environmental and social infrastructure improvements.