83.2 Overall Score (up 8.4 since Aug 1st.)

Ghana

  • 68.9 Public Health
    Directives
  • 62.1 Financial
    Response
  • 100 Fact-Based
    Communication
  • 68.9 Public Health
    Directives
  • 62.1 Financial
    Response
  • 100 Fact-Based
    Communication

Ghana scores strongly on the Index, due primarily to its proactive public health policy, strong examples set by leadership, and reliance on facts; while consistently strong, it does have very weak testing, limited emergency healthcare spending, and a weak stimulus.

Pre-COVID Conditions

Ghana’s poor population health, weak healthcare system, low number of hospital beds, and low GDP per capita resulted in it being in a relatively vulnerable position pre-pandemic.

  • Debt/GDP ratio 59.3%
  • GDP/capita $7,343
  • Gini coefficient (out of 100) 43.5
  • Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 35
  • Healthcare access score (out of 100) 49.7
  • Hospital beds/1,000 People 5.8

Government Response

Select a data point for more information
(Data points represent policy level as of Mar 15.)
68.9

Public Health Directives

Ghana's strong contract tracing and restrictions on public gatherings garnered it a strong public health score, although the country has very limited testing and weak emergency healthcare spending.

  • Stay at home order 1
  • Public gathering restrictions 3
  • School closings 0
  • Public event cancellations 2
  • Testing policy 2
  • Emergency healthcare investments/capita $3.22
  • Travel restrictions 4
  • Tests/1,000 people 31
  • Contact tracing 1
62.1

Financial Response

Despite a relatively low case rate, Ghana provided stimulus funding to address COVID-19, although it was a small amount.

  • Financial stimulus as share of GDP 2.6%
  • Income support 0
  • Debt forebearance 0
100

Fact-Based Communication

Ghana’s leadership has not engaged in the spread of misinformation or conspiracy theories in its communications, but rather emphasized prevention measures and basic hygiene practices.

  • Reliance on science/fact based information 0
  • Press freedom 0

COVID-19 Status as of Mar 15

Having managed an uptick in cases after easing restrictions, Ghana's case rate has remained among the lowest levels in the Index, although its positivity rate has gotten relatively worse in the past few months.

  • Total deaths 217
  • Death rate per 100K 7
  • Total cases 87,985
  • Cases per 100K 6
  • Percent of positive tests 6.2
  • Change in positivity rates +0.8
Case Trend Line
Daily cases Level 1 Lockdown Level 2 Lockdown
Date Status New Cases/1M
1 Jun 05 Religious services with fewer than 100 people are allowed 9.11
2 Jun 15 Schools and universities reopen 0.00
3 Sep 01 International flights resume, with Covid-19 protocols in place 5.21
4 Jan 31 Reintroduced restrictions on large gatherings and sporting events, mandated restaurants run on take-away basis only, increased telework.. 50.95

Differentiating Factors

Compared with Other African Countries
  • 97.2
    Senegal 36,996
    Cases     8
    Per 1M     148
    Deaths

    Senegal’s COVID-19 policy response has been very strong across the board, buoyed by strong public health directives and a reliance on science and facts.

  • 72.2
    Kenya 113,967
    Cases     6
    Per 1M     686
    Deaths

    Kenya has a strong overall policy score, although down significantly from January. However, it is consistently scoring well in all areas, particularly its reliance with respect to facts and science on COVID-19.

  • 62.4
    Ethiopia 176,618
    Cases     16
    Per 1M     1,355
    Deaths

    Despite having relatively weak pre-pandemic capacity, swift action and prevention-based messaging from the government helped mitigate spread early on in the crisis.

  • 71.5
    South Africa 1,530,033
    Cases     88
    Per 1M     1,190
    Deaths

    Overall, South Africa's score is relatively strong with vigorous policy implementation—particularly with respect to lockdowns—offset by its relatively meager financial response.

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New Zealand

Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:

Pre-COVID Conditions:

  • Debt to GDP ratio
  • Infant mortality rates
  • Hospital beds per 1,000 people
  • Gini coefficients measuring inequality
  • Health access and quality

COVID-19 Public Health Directives:

  • Stay-at home orders
  • School-closing policy
  • Public-gathering restrictions
  • Cancellation of public events
  • Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
  • Emergency healthcare spending per capita
  • Travel restrictions
  • Contact tracing

COVID-19 Financial Response:

  • Stimulus package as a share of GDP
  • Income support
  • Debt-forbearance

Public Communications:

  • Instances of misinformation by leadership
  • Limitations on press freedom, censorship

Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:

  • Death rates per 1 million
  • Case rates per 1 million