Feature: Ghana's Digital Health Boom Meets Rights Crisis - New Policy Brief Exposes Risks Facing Young People

Ghana's Digital Health and Rights Project (DHRP) is raising urgent questions about whether Ghana is adequately protecting its youth as it accelerates its digital transformation agenda. The Ghana National Policy Brief - Digital Health and Rights Project (DHRP), backed by extensive research across four countries - Ghana, Kenya, Colombia and Vietnam - paints a complex picture. The report includes a stark warning that Ghana's digital health ecosystem is expanding faster than its legal, regulatory and social protections.

The report identifies what researchers describe as the "cost of connection" - not just in financial terms, but also in social and psychological risks. Alberta Nadutey, a researcher on the project, explained, "Digital health is supporting access, particularly for young people dealing with stigmatized conditions," and that "Many prefer going online rather than visiting physical health facilities because of stigma." Nadutey also noted, "What we found, even beyond what we set out to study, was how normalised online abuse has become," and that "People are insulted simply for sharing health information or for who they are." The policy brief underscores a persistent digital divide, particularly between urban and rural communities, and between men and women.