The Minister for Labour, Jobs, and Employment, Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, has called for a national movement to prioritise worker health and mental well-being as central pillars of Ghana’s economic development.

Speaking at the Ghana Health and Labour Summit on October 9, 2025, under the theme: Mobilising against Non-Communicable Diseases: The role of workplaces in safeguarding employee wellbeing, the minister said the country must “move beyond normal relations and take immediate, decisive actions” to build a healthier, more productive workforce.

He warned that the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), workplace stress, and poor lifestyle habits pose significant threats to national productivity.

“Non-communicable diseases now account for over 43% of all deaths in Ghana. These are not just statistics; they represent mothers, fathers, innovators, and professionals who drive our nation forward,” he said.

The Minister noted that when workers are unwell, the cost is borne not only by families but also by companies and the national economy through lost productivity and increased healthcare expenses.

“A healthy workforce is the bedrock of productivity in our economy,” he said, adding that the government remains committed to aligning labour reforms with technological changes and global workplace standards.

Human capital pivotal to economic transformation - Labour Minister

Referencing the 2025 Gallup Workplace Report, which ranked Ghana among the least thriving workforces globally, the minister described the findings as “a powerful indicator of low engagement and high stress”, one that demands urgent policy action.

He emphasised that the ministry is implementing systematic workplace reforms aimed at transforming offices and factories from “spaces of stress and decline into engines of empowerment and sustainable growth.”

At the summit, the Minister launched the Ghana Workplace Health Declaration and the Employee Safeguarding Toolkits, which he described as practical instruments to embed health and well-being into corporate governance and labour contracts.

“Well-being is not a luxury or a reward to be granted. It is a prerequisite for a successful nation, and the foundation upon which our flagship 24-hour economy policy will be hinged,” Dr Pelpuo said.

SP/MA

Watch the latest edition of BizTech below: