By Zobia Zulfqar 
Poor sanitation is costing Ghana an estimated GH¢6.2 billion every year, according to a new study by the University of Ghana’s Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, highlighting the steep economic price of years of underinvestment in waste management and environmental health.
The findings were presented at a stakeholder forum in Accra, where researchers warned that the country’s sanitation challenges extend far beyond dirty streets and blocked drains. The financial burden includes rising healthcare costs, reduced productivity, and thousands of preventable deaths linked to poor sanitation conditions.
According to the study, sanitation-related diseases such as malaria, cholera, typhoid, pneumonia, and diarrhoea account for approximately GH¢5.8 billion in direct healthcare expenses each year. Businesses and households also bear the cost of missed work and lower productivity. Researchers estimate that absenteeism and reduced output result in an additional GH¢650 million in economic losses annually, equivalent to nearly 31.9 million lost workdays.
The human toll is equally alarming. The report estimates that poor sanitation contributes to more than 177,000 deaths across the country every year. Researchers linked these fatalities to inadequate waste management systems and gaps in environmental health infrastructure.
Despite these losses, the study found that investment in sanitation offers substantial economic benefits. Ghana currently gains an estimated GH¢180 in economic returns for every cedi invested in sanitation initiatives. Researchers argue that this figure could increase significantly if the country raised spending to levels comparable to other lower middle income nations.
Under such a scenario, every cedi invested in sanitation could generate GH¢556 in economic benefits through lower healthcare costs, improved productivity, and fewer sanitation-related deaths.
At present, Ghana spends only GH¢38 for every tonne of waste generated. Researchers described this level of expenditure as inadequate, especially as rapid urbanisation continues to place pressure on waste collection services, drainage systems, and landfill capacity.
The study, led by Professor Peter Quartey and Dr. Kwame Adjei-Mantey, projects that stronger investment in sanitation could increase national economic gains from GH¢58 billion in 2025 to GH¢67.2 billion by 2032.
Researchers urged policymakers to integrate sanitation into national economic planning and urban development strategies. They also called for greater private sector participation in waste management, warning that every year of delayed action locks Ghana into avoidable healthcare costs, lost productivity, and preventable deaths.
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