UNFPA urges stronger partnerships to end maternal deaths, child marriage and gender-based violence in Ghana

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has called for stronger partnerships among government institutions, traditional authorities, civil society organisations and development partners to accelerate efforts to end preventable maternal deaths, child marriage and gender-based violence in Ghana.

The UNFPA Country Representative in Ghana, Dr Wilfred Ochan, said sustainable progress on these challenges requires collective action, local ownership, and the involvement of institutions and community leaders.

He said the organisation was working with various stakeholders to improve maternal health, expand access to family planning services, empower young people and protect vulnerable groups.

Speaking at the UNFPA Media Forum on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, i n Accra, Dr Ochan stressed that lasting development could not be achieved by a single institution working independently.

“No institution can bring about lasting change on its own,” he said.

He explained that UNFPA's approach was built around partnerships that respected Ghana's social and cultural context while ensuring that communities played an active role in shaping development interventions.

“Respecting cultures does not mean avoiding difficult conversations. It means engaging communities with dignity, evidence and trust, and recognising that sustainable change is stronger when people see themselves in it,” he said.

Dr Ochan cited the organisation's collaboration with paramountcies to address child marriage and its engagement with the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to raise awareness of gender-based violence as examples of efforts to strengthen local ownership.

He also highlighted UNFPA's support for maternal health initiatives, including the Presidential Initiative on Maternal Health Emergency Response (PRIMER) and the Partnership to End Fistula in Ghana (PEFIG).

On adolescent and youth development, he said the organisation was reaching hundreds of thousands of young people with integrated sexual and reproductive health education and leadership development opportunities through initiatives such as YoLe Plus and the Adolescent Girls Programme.

Dr Ochan said UNFPA's broader ambition remained a world where every pregnancy was wanted, every childbirth was safe, and every young person's potential was fulfilled.

He identified ending preventable maternal deaths, eliminating unmet needs for family planning, and ending gender-based violence and harmful practices as the organisation's three transformative priorities towards 2030.

The Country Representative further underscored the importance of accountability in ensuring that development partnerships translated into tangible improvements in people's lives.

“Are our efforts making a difference where it matters most, in people's lives: in saving lives, protecting people, creating or expanding opportunities anchored in institutional systems for the purpose of sustainability and scale-up?” he asked.

He said UNFPA would continue to work with government, traditional and religious leaders, private sector actors and development partners to mobilise resources, strengthen alliances and explore innovative approaches to reproductive health challenges.

Dr Ochan also called on journalists to scrutinise development interventions and assess whether they were reaching the people who needed support.

He urged the media to maintain editorial independence, verify information and protect the privacy and dignity of women, girls and young people, particularly survivors of violence.