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Mr Alex Kwame Boakye-Sremah, a morning show host with a Takoradi based radio station has been appointed by the Regional Population Council as Ambassador for Family planning services.

The Ambassador, by his appointment would promote the use of birth control methods in regulating population growth and also mop up campaign in terms of road shows and work at getting more men and women to voluntarily adopt family planning practices and the other birth control modes to mitigate the impact of rapid population growth on the economy.

Mrs Eugenia Kusi, the Deputy Regional Minister, conferring the honour on him at this year's Regional population day celebration charged him to execute his mandate by integrating all stakeholders concerned to maximise gains in population control and the overall national development.

Family planning is now touted as one of the key areas in ensuring healthy people for sustainable development and better resource allocation.

In Ghana, high population occurred in urban areas such as Accra, Kumasi and Sekondi Takoradi which has strong implications on the economy.

The Deputy Minister said government would have to spend more on terms of the provision of social amenities to match up with the growth of the Population.

It is estimated that Ghana's population would rise to 40.8 million in the year 2040 which present a big economic challenge to government to meet the various needs of population and therefore proper planning and birth control schemes to ensure effective and efficient resource allocation by government and families.

Mrs Kusi added that collective efforts must be harnessed to ensure a better future for both present and yet unborn generation adding that rapid population growth undermines strategies to sustain investment in social amenities.
"Rather it's exacerbate the challenges of poverty, maternal and child deaths, HIV and AIDS and puts pressure on natural resources", she added.

She said involving men in the campaign for Family planning was one of the many options of meeting the targets of reducing national population growth rate from 3.0 to 1.5 in the next 10 years.
The Deputy Minister noted that there was the need to intensify efforts in a more coordinated approach in order to yield the expected outcomes.

Reverend Ernest Kwofie, Western Regional Chairman of the National Peace Council mentioned that population issues were complex due to its stressing impact on the economy.

He was worried about teenage pregnancies, early marriages and high abortion rates among young people and called for escalated actions to stem the practice in the bud.

Ms Freda Owusu-Ansah, officer with the Population Council said the UN in 1987 instituted the day when the World recorded its fifth billion child to raise awareness on issues of population growth and its implications on economies.