A data scientist at the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Peter Yeltulme Mwinlaaru, says Ghana cannot achieve equitable development without district-level data to guide policy formulation and implementation.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (23 December), Mwinlaaru explained that although national and regional statistics are useful, they often mask significant disparities at the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly (MMDA) level, where government policies are ultimately implemented.
“Policies are mostly taken at the national level, but implementation happens at the district level. If MMDAs rely only on national or regional averages, they may apply solutions that are not relevant to their local realities,” he said.
He noted that conditions and challenges vary widely between districts, even within the same region, making localised data essential for targeted interventions.
“A solution that works for one district may not work for another because the depth, prevalence and nature of the problem may be completely different,” he explained.
Mwinlaaru outlined the methodology used to generate district-level indicators from the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS), which traditionally provides data only at the regional level.
He said GSS combined data from the 2021 Population and Housing Census, which covers every household nationwide, with the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey, using a Small Area Estimation (SAE) model.
“This approach allows us to draw on the strengths of both datasets and produce reliable estimates for health and social indicators at the district level,” he said, adding that strict methodological standards were applied to ensure accuracy and fairness.
He stressed that the findings should guide policy makers to design localised solutions to localized problems, rather than relying on one-size-fits-all national policies.
