The 1992 constitution provides for a multi-party republic with a president as head of state and a vice-president. The President is elected for a four-year term (with the possibility of re-election for a new term) by universal suffrage. There is a broad-based Council of State with advisory and advisory functions and a unicameral parliament whose members are directly elected for four years. The President appoints the cabinet, which consists on average of 20 to 25 members. The main health problems in Ghana include communicable diseases, poor sanitation and poor nutrition. Public health policy is focused on improving public health, and since independence, many improvements have been made in maternal and child nutrition and care. Many of the endemic diseases such as malaria, pneumonia and gastroenteritis diseases, which claimed heavy lives, have been brought under control through improved hygiene, medicines and education. However, most communities still have inadequate sanitation and water supply, hampering efforts to improve public health. Although AIDS is present in the country, Ghana has made progress in the fight against the disease. The reported HIV infection rate is similar to or lower than in many other African countries. In most parts of the country, there are hospitals and clinics provided by the government and various Christian missions. Complementary services include health centres, pharmacies and changing rooms (first aid centres).
Considerable progress has been made in the quantity and quality of health facilities and medical staff, but rapid population growth continues to put great pressure on available facilities. In addition to the large number of doctors in the public sector, many general practitioners run their own clinics and hospitals. Registered doctors and dentists are assisted by paramedical staff consisting of nurses, midwives and pharmacists, as well as auxiliary staff. Since British colonial times, traditional chiefs and political authorities have tended to operate parallel to central government. Since independence, this trend has continued and even expanded, and the institution of chieftaincy has increasingly separated itself from the exercise of real political power at almost all levels of government; Its role is now largely ceremonial. Ghana is divided into 16 regions – Ahafo, Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Central, East, Greater Accra, Northeast, North, Oti, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, West and West North – which are subdivided into districts. The 1992 constitution provided for elected district assemblies, supplemented by government-appointed members and an appointed district chief executive. However, members of district and local governments may not be affiliated with a party. The Ghanaian Army consists of an army, a navy and an air force. The military is by far the largest branch of the armed forces. Ghanaian troops have participated in several missions as United Nations peacekeepers.
The judicial system is mainly based on the English model, but Ghanaian customary law is recognized as well as English common law. The administration of justice is carried out by different courts, which are divided into two groups: the superior courts, composed of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court; and lower courts, consisting of district, district and other courts provided for by law, such as juvenile courts. The judicial authorities in chieftaincy and purely traditional cases are the regional and national chamber of chiefs. Decisions of the National House of Chiefs are appealed directly to the Supreme Court.