Engendering sustainable communities during and post-COVID-19 pandemic Experiences from Ghana

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to wreak havoc on individuals, communities, institutions, and economies. The disruptions in communities are incalculable. The harm caused by COVID-19 pandemic on the sustainability of our communities appears at first instance insurmountable. Social relationships in our communities have changed as a result of social safety and distancing protocols being observed and the impacts of those measures still bear some resonance today. The effects on community life and the fostering of self-help, communal, and the spirit of self-reliance have waned, and affect the vibrancy of our communities. This chapter examines the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the communal life of Ghanaians in their communities. It probes into the state of health facilities and conditions of the citizenry, livelihoods, and collaborative interventions instituted by the Government of Ghana to ameliorate the effects of the pandemic. It further discusses the Government of Ghana’s policy options and directions to limit the effects of COVID-19 on individuals, industries, and businesses as well as education sectors of the economy, and to give a new lease of life to Ghanaians as we move into a post-COVID-19 era. The chapter, finally, examines the overall effects of government policy on COVID-19 to engender sustainability of the Ghanaian communities to enable them to become more vibrant, thriving, and sustainable.