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Begin New Search Topic Poverty Political Geography Africa Content Type Research Paper

1. Explaining Wellbeing and Inequality in Cameroon: A Regression-Based Decomposition

Publication Date:
01-2020
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
African Economic Research Consortium (AERC)
Abstract:
This study sets out to estimate the determinants of household economic wellbeing and to evaluate the relative contributions of regressed-income sources in explaining measured inequality. In particular, a regression-based decomposition approach informed by the Shapley value, the instrumental variables econometric method, and the 2007 Cameroon household consumption survey, was used. This approach provides a flexible way to accommodate variables in a multivariate context. The results indicate that the household stock of education, age, credit, being bilingual, radio and electricity influence wellbeing positively, while rural, land and dependency had a negative impact on wellbeing. Results also show that rural, credit, bilingualism, education, age, dependency and land, in that order, are the main contributors to measured income inequality, meanwhile, the constant term, media and electricity are inequality reducing. These findings have policy implications for the ongoing drive to scale down both inequality and poverty in Cameroon.
Topic:
Development, Economics, Poverty, Inequality, Economic Inequality, and Economic Policy
Political Geography:
Africa and Cameroon

2. Barriers to Healthcare-Seeking among Caretakers of Children under fve in Uganda

Author:
Moses Mukundane, Annet Nannungi, Dennis Bataringaya, Patrick Ssesanga, Frederick Golooba-Mutebi, and Winstons W. Muhwezi
Publication Date:
01-2016
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE)
Abstract:
Uganda has made commendable achievements in human development and poverty reduction as part of efforts to achieve Millennium Development benchmarks. Despite the efforts, the country’s under-fve mortality statistics remain high, underscoring the serious challenges that the government faces in its efforts to ensure the survival of children under 5 years of age. The fourth Millennium Development Goal required a two-thirds reduction in child mortality, which implied a decrease in under-fve mortality rate from 156 in early 1990s to 56 per 1,000 live births by 2015. By 2015, the child mortality rate had reduced to 90 per 1,000 live births implying a signifcant stride made in its reduction over the several years. Nevertheless, the rate was still high and the country missed hitting the target of MDG-4 (The Republic of Uganda, 2015; Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) & ICF International Inc, 2012).
Topic:
Development, Health, Poverty, and Children
Political Geography:
Uganda and Africa

3. The Politics of Gender, Water and Migration in Ghana: Implications for WASH Sector

Author:
Afia Serwaa Zakiya
Publication Date:
06-2014
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
Ìrìnkèrindò: a Journal of African Migration
Abstract:
This paper explores the broad issues of Gender, Water and Migration among rural dwellers in Ghana. Particular emphasis is paid to women who seek to improve their life chances and reduce their level of poverty through out-migration from their indigenous homeland primarily to urban and small town enclaves. It updates research on migratory trends in Ghana and examines the socio-economic and health conditions of rural women as a consequence of poor access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). The politics of water access and impact of globalization and disasters, among other factors, are raised to highlight how such phenomena linked to issues of climatic change and migration, can lead to loss of indigenous knowledge (IK) in rural communities. The paper ends with an overview of how one organization, WaterAid Ghana (WAG), is attempting to alleviate rural women’s poverty by providing sustainable WASH services delivery and advocating for WASH as a basic essential service and right. The use of culturally appropriate and endogenous development is proposed, with the right requisite levels of local and government leadership and financing, to reduce WASH related poverty, support rural development and reduce migration of men and women to overburdened cities where slums are developing without adequate WASH services and negative health outcomes.
Topic:
Development, Gender Issues, Globalization, Migration, Poverty, Water, Women, and Rural
Political Geography:
Africa and Ghana