HELPING CHILDREN THRIVE AMID THE ECONOMIC CRISIS: Integrated Accelerating Services to Enhance Child Well-being in Ghana

Ghana has made notable progress in advancing children’s rights, including reductions in under-five mortality and stunting, and the implementation of key programmes such as the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) and Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP). However, significant setbacks remain due to economic instability, inflation, and the impact of COVID-19, which have led to stalled education outcomes, rising child poverty, and persistent violence against children and women.

This policy brief calls for the Government of Ghana to adopt an integrated accelerating services approach—delivering essential packages of services that target the same beneficiaries. These packages should combine conditional cash transfers (CCT-LEAP), parenting programmes through social behaviour change communication, and improved school feeding. Together, these accelerators can deliver strong returns across multiple dimensions of child well-being, including improved education, health, nutrition, and protection outcomes. Strengthening public systems and aligning sectoral coordination are vital to deliver these services efficiently and sustainably.

By investing in integrated accelerators and reinforcing them with essential services in health, education, and protection, Ghana can turn the tide on child poverty and unlock its demographic dividend. The brief offers evidence-informed policy options for scaling impact and ensuring Ghana’s children not only survive but thrive.