The midwives and mother of the '8th billionth' baby at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital in Accra. Photo: Henry Alagbua

On 15 November 2022, the world stood still metaphorically to receive news that the global family had finally reached another milestone—of one 8 billion people on the planet. For many, this is alarming or disturbing considering current global challenges like climate change, food insecurity, poverty, and lingering human rights violations.

Although the growing global population calls for concern, when we look at it differently, we also see a huge potential. More numbers will mean more people contributing their energies, talents, skills and abilities to making the world a better place if conditions are right. That is what the target should be for every Government and development agency.

For us in Ghana, the thought of belonging to a bigger world and thus family, meant it was again time to celebrate and equally reflect on how to improve the socio-economic conditions for every single person to thrive; leaving no one behind in the spirit of the SDGs. As a Country Office, UNFPA Ghana partnered with the Ghana Health Service, through the Greater Accra Regional Hospital to identify and symbolically welcome the 8 billionth baby—a girl—into the world.

The Country Office team, including the family and health professionals were excited with the birth of the baby on the back of the fact that it had been a safely delivery for both the mother and child, as well as a testament to the huge benefits Ghana as a country stood to gain by investing in midwifery—a critical workforce whose expertise can help the country to achieve zero preventable maternal deaths.

Additionally, the family was happy to receive the child, which goes to also prove that the pregnancy was planned and in effect, wanted. What this equally means is that the needs of that child will likely to be catered for so that her potential can be fully realized, which is something that UNFPA works closely with the Government of Ghana to achieve with every young person.

Like everyone in the world, from New York to Casablanca, from Nouakchott to Bamako, from Accra to Sydney, from Beijing to Athens, we believe we are bigger than we have ever been, and as UNFPA puts its across, we are #8BillionStrong and have a world of infinite possibilities.

Cheers!