By Newton Gabriel
The air in the conference room was thick with anticipation as Dr. Jacob Novignon and his team began their presentation. The room fell silent, jaws agape, when they dropped the bombshell: malaria was a contributing factor to child marriage. A ripple of disbelief washed over the audience. Heads shook in astonishment, eyes darted around the room like startled birds. International partners from UNFPA, usually so composed, desperately scribbled notes.
Experienced professionals, accustomed to grappling with complex challenges, were visibly taken aback. I confess, I felt a similar jolt of skepticism. How, I wondered, could a mosquito-borne disease possibly lead to a child walking down the aisle? The connection seemed implausible, a curious twist of fate that defied logic.
Findings
Dr. Jacob Novignon and his team, undeterred by the stunned silence, pressed on, meticulously outlining their findings. They painted a grim picture, revealing how the devastating effects of malaria, particularly among young girls, could inadvertently pave the way for early marriage.
Families, burdened by the economic stress of chronic illness and the fear of losing a daughter to the disease, might tragically see marriage as a means of securing her future, however unwelcoming that future might be. The notion that a disease could hijack a young girl’s life in this way was deeply unsettling—a stark reminder of the deceptive ways in which social and economic factors conspire against the most vulnerable members of society.
Dr. Jacob Novignon holds a PhD in economics with a specialty in public economics and health economics and is currently a lecturer in the Department of Economics at KNUST. Child marriage is prevalent in Ghana, especially in the northern parts of the country, namely the Savannah Region, North East Region, Northern Region, Upper West, Upper East, and parts of the Western North Region.
According to the Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey of 2018, 19.3% of girls were married by the age of 18, while 5% were married before the age of 15. This report shows a marginal decrease of 7.9% from 2014, which represents better progress compared to other countries in West and Central Africa, according to UNICEF in 2020.
Section 14 of the 1998 Act 560 of the Children’s Act of Ghana forbids the betrothal or marriage of a child, whether arranged or not. Additionally, the law grants the child the right to reject any form of betrothal or marriage.
Child marriage
Child marriage does not affect only girls; boys also suffer. In 2018, research by de Groot revealed that about 5% of boys below the age of 18 were forced into early marriage. However, the prevalence rate among girls is significantly higher. The regions with the highest rates of child marriage were the Northern and Upper East Regions, while the Greater Accra Region recorded the lowest rates.
Popular opinion often blames poverty as the sole culprit behind child marriage, particularly in Africa. While poverty undoubtedly plays a significant role, it is essential to acknowledge another influential factor: inadequate healthcare. The constant struggle to access proper medical care, especially in the face of widespread diseases like malaria, can tragically push families toward desperate measures such as child marriage.
Malaria, a chronic risk across Africa, casts a long shadow over countless families. The disease’s effects leave many feeling helpless. The persistent threat posed by malaria significantly worsens the vulnerabilities of impoverished families. In their desperate bid for survival, some resort to marrying off their daughters to wealthier men, viewing this as a means of securing their child’s future and their own financial stability.
When faced with the constant fear of losing children to malaria, families may perceive child marriage as a form of “insurance.” This tragic reality underscores the complex interplay between health, poverty, and social norms. The debilitating effects of malaria—chronic illness, lost productivity, and the unrelenting drain on household resources—leave families with few alternatives but to make desperate choices.
Prevention?
Furthermore, the lack of access to effective malaria prevention and treatment worsens the situation. Inadequate healthcare infrastructure, limited access to affordable medications, and insufficient health education leave families ill-equipped to combat the disease. This lack of access creates a vicious cycle of poverty and ill health, further compounding the vulnerability of children and forcing families into compromises that harm their long-term well-being.
As the presentation unfolded, a sense of unease settled over the room. It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a hidden and horrifying reality. The initial disbelief gave way to a dull realization: this was not a far-fetched theory but a grim reality for countless girls across the globe. Dr. Novignon and his team had not just presented data; they had exposed a profound injustice, compelling the audience to confront a complex and deeply troubling issue with renewed urgency.
The question was no longer “How could this be?” but rather, “What can we do to break this vicious cycle?”
The writer is the Outreach Coordinator of the Briphildon Foundation, a non-governmental organization aimed at providing support for the less privileged in society.