In many Ghanaian cultures, death is not seen as an end, but a passage; an important transition into the ancestral realm. The dead are not forgotten; they are revered, mourned with dignity, and celebrated as spirits who continue to influence the living. Funerals, therefore, are sacred moments, a fusion of grief, honour, and tradition. Yet, in recent years, particularly among the youth, there has been a noticeable and alarming erosion of this reverence. What was once sacred is now sometimes treated with disturbing casualness, even outright disrespect. A cultural and public health crisis may be brewing right beneath our eyes.
Disturbing scenes from funeral events have made rounds on social media; youth dining in the same room as an exposed corpse, drinking and dancing around it, making comic videos with the body, or even sitting it upright as though the deceased were an active participant in the revelry. These are not just isolated cases; they’re becoming a reflection of a broader cultural decay and disconnection. What should inspire solemn reflection now fuels sensationalism and spectacle.
This trend speaks to a deeper crisis of cultural dissonance. Many Ghanaian youth, heavily influenced by social media, global pop culture, and a thirst for digital notoriety, increasingly engage in behaviors that directly conflict with their traditional values. For centuries, respect for the dead was woven into the Ghanaian social fabric. Elders would lead rituals with discipline and awe, ensuring every stage of mourning and burial upheld the dignity of the deceased.
Today, however, some funerals have become indistinguishable from parties, complete with DJs, provocative dancing, alcohol, and viral content creation. What’s even more worrying is that some young people do not even see anything wrong with it. Death, once treated with sacred fear, has been reduced in some circles to mere entertainment fodder.
Beyond the moral and cultural breakdown, there is a serious public health concern. Corpses, particularly those not properly preserved or handled, pose significant biological risks. Decomposition begins almost immediately after death. Bodily fluids may carry pathogens such as hepatitis viruses, tuberculosis bacteria, HIV, and in rare cases, even cholera or Ebola, depending on the cause of death. In rural or under-resourced settings, where bodies may not be embalmed or stored in hygienic conditions, the health risks multiply.
Dining near a corpse, especially in poorly ventilated environments or where traditional preservation methods are used, can expose mourners to airborne pathogens or contamination through surfaces and utensils. Yet these facts are often ignored in the heat of reckless youth-driven funeral revelry.
The Ghana Health Service and environmental health officers have raised red flags before, warning against poor corpse handling, especially during outbreaks. But little seems to change at the grassroots level. Some families, driven by social pressure or tradition, keep bodies at home for days or even weeks, and young people turn these settings into festivals of clout-chasing rather than moments of reflection.
Meanwhile, the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) includes provisions to ensure the proper handling of dead bodies to protect public health and dignity. Mishandling a body could be considered a violation of this act, particularly if it endangers public health or disrespects the deceased.
It is time for a collective reckoning. Ghana’s cultural custodians, ie, chiefs, elders, religious leaders, educators, and parents must urgently rise to address this erosion. The youth are not entirely to blame. Many of them were simply never taught the value of our rituals. With urbanisation and western influence, many have lost touch with the meaning of funerary customs.
Reform is needed culturally, educationally, and legally. Public health education should be integrated into funeral planning and community engagement, especially in rural areas. Municipal assemblies and health departments must enforce sanitary regulations at funerals. Traditional leaders should collaborate with youth groups to reclaim respectful rites that are safe and culturally sound.
A society that disrespects its dead is a society losing its soul. What we see today is not merely a change in fashion or trend, but a symptom of a deeper societal crisis, one where cultural oblivion meets moral apathy. If we do not act swiftly, not only will we continue to dishonor those who paved the way for us, but we may also be endangering the health and dignity of the living.
It is not too late to return to reverence to restore the line between mourning and mockery, between culture and carelessness. For the dead may be gone, but how we treat them still speaks volumes about the kind of people we are.
Feature By: Lawrence Yeboah Gyan
Broadcast Journalist, Suncity Radio, Sunyani- Bono Region
+233543905392
