Sustainable implementation of microhydro to eradicate poverty in Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jonker Klunne, Wim

2010-09-15

Local, micro scale, village level hydropower plants can play an important role towards eradication of poverty in rural areas. However, despite a good understanding of the technology involved and the enormous potential that exists in Africa, relative small numbers of micro hydro projects are currently in operation in Africa. This paper does look into the current situation on the continent with respect to installed systems and projects that are being implemented. It compares different implementation models and will conclude on ingredients for implementation models that will support the sustainable operation of micro hydroplants once built.

Poverty and Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa: Literature Survey and Empirical Assessment

OpenAIRE

Delfin Go; Denis Nikitin; Xiongjian Wang; Heng-fu Zou

2011-01-01

This paper surveys the literature and assesses the magnitude, persistence, and depth of poverty and inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa using empirical analysis. Our analysis explores linkages between three key facts about development in Sub-Saharan Africa: poor economic growth, poor performance in terms of public health indicators, and resilient high-income inequality. Most of the differential between growth rates in Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing countries can be explained by two meas...

Macro-level drivers of multidimensional poverty in sub-Saharan Africa: Explaining change in the Human Poverty Index

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Heath Prince

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Poverty is increasingly recognised as a multidimensional phenomenon in the development literature, encompassing not only income, but also a range of factors related to broadening an individual’s freedoms to live a life of their own choosing. Poverty so understood suggests that alternative approaches to poverty measurement reflecting this multidimensionality may point towards alternative policies for poverty alleviation. The imperative to reinforce pro-poor policy development in sub-Saharan Africa with evaluation findings that reflect improvements in well-being, rather than solely improvements in national economies, has become self-evident as, despite decades of market-led development policies, much of the subcontinent remains mired in deprivation. As recognised by the 2014 African Evaluation Association’s biannual conference, fresh thinking and new evaluation metrics are required in order to create policies that more effectively increase well-being. This article explores the factors that may account for changes in one metric of multidimensional poverty in developing countries, the United Nation Development Program’s Human Poverty Index (HPI, and will be primarily concerned with measuring the effects on the HPI of policies and activities that relate to, or are explicitly meant to encourage, economic growth, increased literacy and improved health. The study focuses on the outcomes of a panel data set, created for the purpose of this study, of HPI scores for a set of 47 sub-Saharan countries, between 1990 and 2010, and a range of indicators that the development literature and theory suggest should have an effect on income poverty, asking, what is the relationship between these indicators and multidimensional poverty? A parallel set of models has been developed to measure the response of household consumption expenditure to changes in economic growth and human capabilities indicators. All models are estimated using fixed effects estimators and

Poverty and vote buying: Survey-based evidence from Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Peter Sandholt; Justesen, Mogens K.

2014-01-01

Alongside the spread of democracy in the developing world, vote buying has emerged as an integral part of election campaigns. Yet, we know little about the causes of vote buying in young democracies. In this paper, we analyse the sources of vote buying in sub-Saharan African. Using data from...... the Afrobarometer, we focus on the impact of poverty on vote buying at the individual- and country-level. Results from multilevel regressions show that poor voters are significantly more likely to be targets of vote buying than wealthier voters. This effect increases when elections are highly competitive. Thus......, micro-level poverty seems to be an important source of vote buying in Africa and has major implications for the way electoral democracy operates....

A Complex Systems Approach to Energy Poverty in sub-Saharan Africa: Nigeria as a Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Chidebell Emordi, Chukwunonso

Energy poverty is pervasive in sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria, located in sub-Saharan West Africa, is the world's seventh largest oil exporting country and is a resource-rich nation. It however experiences the same levels of energy poverty as most of its neighboring countries. Attributing this paradox only to corruption or the "Dutch Disease", where one sector booms at the expense of other sectors of the economy, is simplistic and enervates attempts at reform. In addition, data on energy consumption is aggregated at the national level via estimates, disaggregated data is virtually non-existent. Finally, the wave of decentralization of vertically integrated national utilities sweeping the developing world has caught on in sub-Saharan Africa. However, little is known of the economic and social implications of these transitions within the unique socio-technical system of the region's electricity sector, especially as it applies to energy poverty. This dissertation proposes a complex systems approach to measuring and mitigating energy poverty in Nigeria due to its multi-dimensional nature. This is done via a three-fold approach: the first section of the study delves into causation by examining the governance institutions that create and perpetuate energy poverty; the next section proposes a context-specific minimum energy poverty line based on field data collected on energy consumption; and the paper concludes with an indicator-based transition management framework encompassing institutional, economic, social, and environmental themes of sustainable transition within the electricity sector. This work contributes to intellectual discourse on systems-based mitigation strategies for energy poverty that are widely applicable within the sub-Saharan region, as well as adds to the knowledge-base of decision-support tools for addressing energy poverty in its complexity.

An enquiry on poverty discourses in public theology for the calling of the church to respond to poverty: A case for the Africa Inland Church in Kenya

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Noah K. Tenai

2016-08-01

Full Text Available As an emergent and rapidly growing international field of study, public theology has its focus on how Christian faith and practice impact on ordinary life. Its principle concern is thewell-being of society. In Africa, and in Kenya in particular, where poverty levels are still high, there is a need to enquire into the value and efficacy of the poverty discourses in publictheology, for the calling of the church to respond to poverty. One of the main and fast growingchurches in Kenya, the Africa Inland Church (AIC, has vast resources used for, amongst otherthings, various on-going work amidst the poor and the vulnerable in remote and poor areas. Due to the unrelenting nature of poverty in Kenya, the AIC needs a theological perspective, which is sufficiently sensitive to poverty and can enable it to respond to poverty moreeffectively. Public theology’s emphasis on gaining an entrée into the public square andadopting the agenda of communities, including public theology’s calling on churches toactively participate in rational and plausible public discourses, can assist the AIC to respondeffectively to the challenge of poverty in Kenya.

Inequality and the impact of growth on poverty: Comparative evidence for Sub-Saharan Africa

OpenAIRE

Fosu, Augustin Kwasi

2008-01-01

This study explores the extent to which inequality affects the impact of income growth on the rates of poverty changes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) comparatively with non-SSA, based on a global sample of 1977-2004 unbalanced panel data. For both regions and all three measures of poverty - headcount, gap, and squared gap - the paper finds the impact of GDP growth on poverty reduction as a decreasing function of initial inequality. The impacts are similar in direction for SSA and non-SSA, so tha...

Household illness, poverty and physical and emotional child abuse victimisation: findings from South Africa's first prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Meinck, Franziska; Cluver, Lucie D; Boyes, Mark E

2015-05-01

Physical and emotional abuse of children is a large scale problem in South Africa, with severe negative outcomes for survivors. Although chronic household illness has shown to be a predictor for physical and emotional abuse, no research has thus far investigated the different pathways from household chronic illness to child abuse victimisation in South Africa. Confidential self-report questionnaires using internationally utilised measures were completed by children aged 10-17 (n = 3515, 56.7% female) using door-to-door sampling in randomly selected areas in rural and urban locations of South Africa. Follow-up surveys were conducted a year later (96.7% retention rate). Using multiple mediation analyses, this study investigated direct and indirect effects of chronic household illness (AIDS or other illness) on frequent (monthly) physical and emotional abuse victimisation with poverty and extent of the ill person's disability as hypothesised mediators. For children in AIDS-ill families, a positive direct effect on physical abuse was obtained. In addition, positive indirect effects through poverty and disability were established. For boys, a positive direct and indirect effect of AIDS-illness on emotional abuse through poverty were detected. For girls, a positive indirect effect through poverty was observed. For children in households with other chronic illness, a negative indirect effect on physical abuse was obtained. In addition, a negative indirect effect through poverty and positive indirect effect through disability was established. For boys, positive and negative indirect effects through poverty and disability were found respectively. For girls, a negative indirect effect through poverty was observed. These results indicate that children in families affected by AIDS-illness are at higher risk of child abuse victimisation, and this risk is mediated by higher levels of poverty and disability. Children affected by other chronic illness are at lower risk for

Measuring Child Poverty in South Africa: Sensitivity to the Choice of Equivalence Scale and an Updated Profile

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Streak, Judith Christine; Yu, Derek; Van der Berg, Servaas

2009-01-01

This paper offers evidence on the sensitivity of child poverty in South Africa to changes in the adult equivalence scale (AES) and updates the child poverty profile based on the Income and Expenditure Survey 2005/06. Setting the poverty line at the 40th percentile of households calculated with different AESs the scope and composition of child…

The effectiveness of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG as global paradigm shift for poverty eradication in sub-Saharan Africa

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Herman van der Elst

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Despite isolated progress there seems to be no clear-cut guideline or solution to the collective eradication of extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. In an attempt to overcome the above reality, the objective of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs is short term poverty relief to the poorest of the poor by 2015. This is to be achieved through the realisation of eight pro-poor objectives. Since 2000 there has been notable progress. Developmental organisations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF and the Freedom House Index project that global poverty will have been reduced to below fifteen per cent by 2015. The MDGs can, however, currently only be perceived as partially effective because poverty relief remains restricted to mainly Latin America and South and South East Asia. This partial success is substantiated by the reality that the majority of states in sub-Saharan Africa remains subjected to a cycle of extreme poverty, which seems impossible to overcome. There is consensus amongst many researchers that none of the MDGs will be achieved in this region by 2015. This article aims to critically analyse the nature, objectives and progress of the MDGs as a global developmental paradigm shift. In order to explore future trends and identify potential solutions, an emphasis is, however, placed on the possible reasons for the slow progress of the MDGs, specifically in sub-Saharan Africa. Keywords: Global paradigm shift, new conditionality, extreme poverty, poverty eradication, sub-Saharan Africa, foreign aid, deprivation hypothesis, weak governance, free-market approach and the poverty trap Disciplines: International relations, law, political economy, politics, environmental studies, water studies, communication studies, public management and governance, education, sociology, anthropology and history.

Harnessing poverty alleviation to reduce the stigma of HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa.

OpenAIRE

Alexander C Tsai; David R Bangsberg; Sheri D Weiser

2013-01-01

Alexander Tsai and colleagues highlight the complex relationship between poverty and HIV stigma in sub-Saharan Africa, and discuss possible ways to break the cycle. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

Poverty, Growth, and Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa; Did the Walk Match the Talk under the PRSP Approach?

OpenAIRE

Daouda Sembene

2015-01-01

Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have shown strong signs of growth resilience in the aftermath of the recent global crisis. Yet, this paper finds evidence that growth has more than proportionately benefited the top quintile during PRSP implementation. It finds that PRSP implementation has neither reduced poverty headcount nor raised the income share of the poorest quintile in Sub-Saharan Africa. While countries in other regions have been more successful ...

Identifying the poor for premium exemption: a critical step towards universal health coverage in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Umeh, Chukwuemeka A

2017-01-01

Premium exemption for the poor is a critical step towards achieving universal health coverage in sub-Saharan Africa due to the large proportion of the population living in extreme poverty who cannot pay premium. However, identifying the poor for premium exemption has been a big challenge for SSA countries. This paper is a succinct review of four methods available for identifying the poor, outlining the ideal conditions under which each of the methods should be used and the drawbacks associated with using each of the methods.

Population growth, poverty and health.

Science.gov (United States)

Kibirige, J S

1997-07-01

One of the most popular explanations for the many problems that face Africa is population growth. Africa's population has doubled since 1960. Africa has the highest fertility rate in the world and the rate of population growth is higher than in any other region. At the same time, Africa faces a social and economic situation that is viewed by many as alarming. Among the problems that devastate Africa is that of persistent poor health. Africa has lower life expectancy, higher mortality rates and is affected by more disease and illness conditions than any other region. Focusing on sub-Saharan Africa, this paper examines the relationship between population growth, poverty and poor health. While most analyses have focused on population growth as an original cause of poverty and underdevelopment, this paper argues that while both population growth and poor health play a significant role in exacerbating the problem of poverty, they are themselves primary consequences of poverty rather than its cause.

The Africanization of poverty: a retrospective on "Make Poverty History".

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Graham

2010-01-01

This article explores the ways in which the British campaign coalition Make Poverty History represented Africa throughout 2005. Focusing particularly on the G8 Gleneagles summit, Make Poverty History (MPH) asserted a series of justice claims which had no geographical reference. Nevertheless, as a result of internal tensions within the coalition, and especially as a result of the ways in which MPH interacted with other political agencies as the summit approached, MPH's messages became increasingly interpolated by references to Africa as a result of the emergence of government, media, and celebrity involvement. The result of this was that global poverty increasingly became an African issue. As 2005 became the "Year of Africa," the justice messages that constituted MPH were largely effaced by the more familiar imperial legacy which represents Africa as a place of indigence in need of outside assistance.

Relationships between poverty and AIDS Illness in South Africa: an investigation of urban and rural households in KwaZulu-Natal.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinert, Janina Isabel; Cluver, Lucie; Melendez-Torres, G J; Herrero Romero, Rocio

2017-09-01

The association between poverty and HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa remains contested. A better understanding of the relationship between the prevalence of poverty and the disease is essential for addressing prevention, treatment, and care. The present study interrogates this relationship, using a cross-sectional survey of 2477 households in urban and rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Structural equation modelling was employed to estimate the correlations between poverty and AIDS illness. The analysis revealed a correlation of r pb  = 0.23, denoting that a higher level of household poverty was associated with a higher likelihood of being AIDS-unwell. Post hoc t-test showed that receipt of a disability grant by AIDS-affected households was associated with significantly lower poverty, compared to AIDS-affected households not receiving the grant, t(654) = 3.67, p poverty and AIDS was decreased to r pb  = 0.15 (p poverty through economic interventions, and those that alleviate the impoverishing effects of AIDS illness for affected households.

Poverty, health and satellite-derived vegetation indices: their inter-spatial relationship in West Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Sedda, Luigi; Tatem, Andrew J.; Morley, David W.; Atkinson, Peter M.; Wardrop, Nicola A.; Pezzulo, Carla; Sorichetta, Alessandro; Kuleszo, Joanna; Rogers, David J.

2015-01-01

Background Previous analyses have shown the individual correlations between poverty, health and satellite-derived vegetation indices such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). However, generally these analyses did not explore the statistical interconnections between poverty, health outcomes and NDVI. Methods In this research aspatial methods (principal component analysis) and spatial models (variography, factorial kriging and cokriging) were applied to investigate the correlations and spatial relationships between intensity of poverty, health (expressed as child mortality and undernutrition), and NDVI for a large area of West Africa. Results This research showed that the intensity of poverty (and hence child mortality and nutrition) varies inversely with NDVI. From the spatial point-of-view, similarities in the spatial variation of intensity of poverty and NDVI were found. Conclusions These results highlight the utility of satellite-based metrics for poverty models including health and ecological components and, in general for large scale analysis, estimation and optimisation of multidimensional poverty metrics. However, it also stresses the need for further studies on the causes of the association between NDVI, health and poverty. Once these relationships are confirmed and better understood, the presence of this ecological component in poverty metrics has the potential to facilitate the analysis of the impacts of climate change on the rural populations afflicted by poverty and child mortality. PMID:25733559

Spousal violence in sub-Saharan Africa: does household poverty-wealth matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Bamiwuye, Samson Olusina; Odimegwu, Clifford

2014-06-17

Despite the threat of violence to the health and rights of women yet, for many years, there has been a dearth of nationally comparable data on domestic violence in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper examines whether women from poor households are more likely to experience violence from husband/partner than other women who are from middle or rich households. Data for the study are derived from most recent DHS surveys of ever-married women age 15-49 in Cameroun(3,691), Kenya(4,336), Mozambique(5610), Nigeria (16,763), Zambia(3,010) and Zimbabwe(5,016) who participated in the questions on Domestic Violence Module. Bivariate analysis and Binary Logistic Regression Analysis are used to explore the linkage between household poverty-wealth and spousal violence while simultaneously controlling for confounding variables. The overall prevalence of any form of violence (physical, sexual or emotional) ranges from 30.5% in Nigeria to 43.4% in Zimbabwe; 45.3% in Kenya; 45.5% in Mozambique; 53.9% in Zambia and 57.6% in Cameroun. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses show that in two of the six countries -Zambia and Mozambique, experience of violence is significantly higher among women from non-poor (rich) households than those from other households (poor and middle). For Zimbabwe and Kenya, women from poor households are more likely to have ever experienced spousal violence than those from non-poor households. In the remaining two countries- Nigeria and Cameroun, women from the middle class are more likely to have ever suffered abuse from husband/partner than those from the poor and rich households. Our results thus show that similar measurements of household poverty-wealth have produced varying relationships with respect to experience of spousal violence in six sub-Saharan African countries. In other words, experience of violence cuts across all household poverty-wealth statuses and therefore may not provide enough explanations on whether household-poverty necessarily serves to

Halving poverty in South Africa: Growth and distributional aspects ; distributional implications of halving poverty in South Africa

OpenAIRE

Tregenna, Fiona

2011-01-01

The United Nations Millennium Declaration commits to halving extreme poverty between 2000 and 2015. The South African government has set a goal of halving poverty by 2014, although the meaning of this goal has not yet been defined. This article specifies government's stated target of halving poverty by 2014 in terms of specific measures of the poverty gap and poverty headcount ratio, using income and expenditure survey microdata. With the poverty line as defined here, approximately half the S...

Poverty, energy, and resource use in developing countries: focus on Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Kammen, Daniel M; Kirubi, Charles

2008-01-01

Energy poverty affects poor communities and poor nations far more severely, and more directly, than in developed nations. Poor rural communities are particularly vulnerable, and the poor globally spend by far the largest percentage of income on energy. To make matters worse, record-high oil prices combined with sharp decline in foreign exchange earnings are key processes influencing the energy sector in Africa. These increases cause tremendous local hardships, but can be used to steer development decisions toward renewable energy technologies. At the same time, breaking up of public monopolies and liberalizing generation and distribution provides an opportunity for a new approach to rural electrification. Given the right incentives and institutional framework, a new set of players (e.g., private entrepreneurs, cooperatives, nongovernmental organizations, and communities) are likely to emerge and dominate reformed rural electricity markets in the future. Through technological and institutional "leap-frogging," Africa stands to gain significantly by augmenting current initiatives with experience and lessons recently gained in South Asia and Latin America. In these regions, a number of remarkable recent strides to seed and grow rural electricity markets while stimulating and encouraging private investments. Examples of innovative regulatory tools to address poverty include licensing, standards and guidelines, metering, tariffs, transmission charges, and performance-based contracting for energy services.

The poverty-HIV/AIDS nexus in Africa: a livelihood approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Masanjala, Winford

2007-03-01

This paper reviews the nexus between poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa using a sustainable livelihood framework. Much of the literature on HIV and AIDS has generated an almost universal consensus that the AIDS epidemic is having an immense impact on the economies of hard-hit countries, hurting not only individuals, families and firms, but also significantly slowing economic growth and worsening poverty. International evidence has concentrated on the pathways through which HIV/AIDS undermines livelihoods and raises vulnerability to future collapse of livelihoods. Yet, little attention has been paid to the role that social relations and livelihood strategies can play in bringing about risky social interaction that raises the chance of contracting HIV. Using the sustainable livelihood and social relation approaches, this article demonstrates that although AIDS is not simply a disease of the poor, determinants of the epidemic go far beyond individual volition and that some dimensions of being poor increase risk and vulnerability to HIV.

Poverty and inequality - but of what - as social determinants of health in Africa?

Science.gov (United States)

Worku, Eshetu B; Woldesenbet, Selamawit A

2015-12-01

Many African economies have achieved substantial economic growth over the past recent years, yet several of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) including those concerned with health, remain considerably behind target. This paper examines whether progress towards these goals is being hampered by existing levels of poverty and income inequality. It also considers whether the inequality hypothesis of Wilkinson and Pickett1 applies to population health outcomes in African states. Correlation analysis and scatter plots were used to assess graphically the link between variations in health outcomes, level of poverty and income inequality in different countries. Health status outcomes were measured by using four indicators: infant and under-five (child) mortality rates; maternal mortality ratios; and life expectancy at birth. In each of the 52 African nations, the proportion of the population living below the poverty line is used as an indicator of the level of poverty and Gini coefficient as a measure of income inequality. The study used a comprehensive review of secondary and relevant literature that are pertinent in the subject area. The data datasets obtained online from UNICEF2 and UNDP3 (2009) used to test the research questions. World Health Organization the three broad dimensions to consider when moving towards better population health outcome through Universal Health Coverage and the Social Determinants of Health framework reviewed to establish the poverty and income inequality link in African countries population health outcomes. The study shows that poverty is strongly associated with all health outcome differences in Africa (IMR, cc = 0.63; U5MR, cc = 0.64; MMR, cc = 0.49; life expectancy at birth, cc = -0.67); income inequality with only one of the four indicators (IMR, cc = 0.14; U5MR, cc = 0.07; MMR, cc = 0.22; life expectancy at birth, cc = -0.49), whereas income inequality is associated with one of the four indicators. The study shows that tackling

Do remittances alleviate poverty and income inequality in poor countries? Empirical evidence from sub-Saharan Africa

OpenAIRE

Adenutsi, Deodat E.

2011-01-01

An attempt has been made in this paper to examine the impact of international remittances on poverty and income inequality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In carrying out the study, 34 SSA countries for which relevant data are available, between 1980 and 2009, were sampled for the poverty analysis whilst a sample size of 36 was used in the remittances-income inequality exploration. A set of dynamic panel-data models was estimated using system Generalized Method of Moments. It was found that remi...

The ongoing challenge of restorative justice in South Africa: How and why wealthy suburban congregations are responding to poverty and inequality

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Nadine F. Bowers du Toit

2014-03-01

Full Text Available South Africa remains one of the most unequal societies in the world and any discussion around poverty and the church’s response cannot exclude this reality. This article attempts to analyse the response of wealthy, ‘majority white’ suburban congregations in the southern suburbs of Cape Town to issues of poverty and inequality. This is attempted through the lense of restorative justice, which is broadly explored and defined through a threefold perspective of reconciliation, reparations and restitution. The first part explores a description of the basic features of poverty and inequality in South Africa today, followed by a discussion on restorative justice. This is followed by the case study, which gives the views of clergy and lay leaders with regard to their congregations’ perspectives and responses to poverty and inequality within the context of restorative justice. Findings from the case study begin to plot a tentative ‘way forward’ as to how our reality can more constructively be engaged from the perspective of congregational involvement in reconstruction of our society.

Rural education: Reimagining the role of the church in transforming poverty in South Africa

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Christo Thesnaar

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The desire to remember the plight of the poor in South Africa has reduced in the last 20 years after the transition from apartheid to freedom. To a large extent, Faith Based Organizations (FBOs and the religious society at large have lost their ‘dangerous memory’ which keeps us mindful of those who suffered and whose plight is usually forgotten or suppressed. In this contribution the conditions of poor farm school children in multigrade rural education will be scrutinised by unpacking the contextual factors that cause us to forget their plight. This article will seek to reimagine the role of the church in poverty-stricken South Africa by engaging with the work of Talcott Parsons, the practical theologian Johannes A. Van der Ven, as well as the work of the political theologian Johann Baptist Metz in order to affirm the focus of Practical Theology to transform society and to contribute to the quest for justice and liberation for the poor in rural education. This reimagining discourse has a fundamental responsibility to challenge the social, political and economic realities that shape the lives of human beings within rural education, remembering the plight of the poor, and participating on their journey towards liberation and healing. It is proposed that if the church can activate its ‘dangerous memory’ it will be able to reimagine its role by transforming our poverty-stricken South African society, open new avenues for breaking the cycle of poverty and contribute to rural education.

"Blame it on the weeds": politics, poverty, and ecology in the new South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Neely, Abigail H

2010-01-01

In January of 2000, spectacular fires burned in the natural veld of Cape Town, South Africa. As the fire-fighting effort finished, a theory emerged: invasive alien species, trees from other countries, such as Australia and the United States, were to blame for the fires. While the invasive alien hypothesis captured the attention of media and policy makers alike, there was little ecological evidence to support it. This article places the fires of 2000 in a longer history of post-apartheid policy and science surrounding invasive alien floral species, arguing that the fires allowed for a synergy between concerns over poverty relief, nature conservation, and scientific research. The most visible example of this synergy was an increased commitment to the Working for Water programme on the Cape Peninsula, a large-scale employment programme utilising unskilled labour to clear invasive alien species in order to conserve South African water resources. In addition to providing employment for South Africa's poorest citizens, Working for Water provided funding for ecological research about invasive alien species. The studies that resulted from this funding focused on gathering information to make practical suggestions for invasive species control. Although the focus of these studies was on management, the science used was itself as rigorous as it had ever been. In the post-apartheid era, as poverty relief and nature conservation came together, scientists ensured that they would continue to play a role in nature conservation by making their research relevant to both invasive species control and to poverty relief.

Strategies of Successful Poverty Reduction: Case Studies of Tanzania and Zambia

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-01

Economic Update: Raising the Game , Can Tanzania Eradicate Extreme Poverty? The World Bank Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Unit Africa Region. No...poverty threshold were exceptionally modest and based on the minimum caloric requirement, which excludes meat and fish.259 The Zambian government...Tanzania Economic Update: Raising the Game , Can Tanzania Eradicate Extreme Poverty? The World Bank Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Unit Africa

One Size Fits All? The Validity of a Composite Poverty Index Across Urban and Rural Households in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinert, Janina Isabel; Cluver, Lucie Dale; Melendez-Torres, G J; Vollmer, Sebastian

2018-01-01

Composite indices have been prominently used in poverty research. However, validity of these indices remains subject to debate. This paper examines the validity of a common type of composite poverty indices using data from a cross-sectional survey of 2477 households in urban and rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Multiple-group comparisons in structural equation modelling were employed for testing differences in the measurement model across urban and rural groups. The analysis revealed substantial variations between urban and rural respondents both in the conceptualisation of poverty as well as in the weights and importance assigned to individual poverty indicators. The validity of a 'one size fits all' measurement model can therefore not be confirmed. In consequence, it becomes virtually impossible to determine a household's poverty level relative to the full sample. Findings from our analysis have important practical implications in nuancing how we can sensitively use composite poverty indices to identify poor people.

Information and Communication Technologies and Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries : the Case of Sub Saharan Africa countries

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Lot Tcheeko

2006-12-01

Full Text Available There is a growing interest in using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs to support poverty reduction efforts and strategies in the framework of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs. These interest ended up revealing how much the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs of many african nations have underestimated the importance of ICTs as a development tool. The fact that so little was mentionned about the use of ICTs for poverty alleviation and creation of employment highlighted the confusion, and uncertainty of decision makers. At the country level, ICT is still to be effectively integrated into national poverty alleviation and development strategies. The question then is how ICTs can help achieve those objectives. How can ICTs be used as tools to fight against poverty? Poverty is widely recognized as multidimensional, encompassing food security, health, education, rights, security and dignity, amongst others as stressed by Bachelor and al in a model showing the intricate linkages between ICTs and most PRSP goals. The link between ICTs and poverty reduction strategy is therefore not that obvious. Although, researchers and development partners involved in poverty alleviation recognize more easily the linkage between ICT and poverty reduction strategies. In any case, it is a prerequisite to have a conducive environment and country readiness for ICTs implementation. Unfortunately, in many Sub-Saharan Africa countries, there is not yet a clear and effective policy and strategy for the use of ICT.

Economic growth and poverty alleviation in Africa - linking hard and soft economics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuada, John

2014-01-01

soft and hard economics, arguing that economic growth must be converted into social change that benefits poor for it to be described as development-oriented. It provides a direction for future research into issues of economic growth and poverty alleviation in Sub-Sahara Africa......This paper provides a quick glance at the dominant issues that have characterized the development economics debate during the past five decades. It is based on a review of a selection of literature that highlights the dominant perspectives in development economics. It draws a distinction between...

Depth of poverty in an informal settlement in the Vaal region, South Africa

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Wilna Oldewage-Theron

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Despite the large number of people currently living in poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, the debate about the definition and meaning of poverty continues. Two distinct problems exist regarding the measurement of poverty, namely the difficulty of identifying the poor in a population and the difficulty in developing an index for the measurement of poverty. The main objective of the survey was to apply a poverty model for determining the depth of poverty in an informal settlement in the Vaal Region, as well as the impact of possible income-generating activities on the community. A questionnaire, which had been devised for measuring poverty indicators, was administered to 429 randomly selected households in the informal settlement, with the poverty model being applied to measure the degree of poverty. The results of the survey showed that 286 households lived in poverty at the time. The impact of extra income on the poverty levels of these 286 households was then determined. The results of the survey also showed that the unemployment level was 91% and that the mean monthly income was R612.50. The average poverty gap was R1017.21, with the poverty gap ratio being 56%. The poverty model showed that an increase of R500 in monthly household income resulted in a poverty gap ratio of 35%. The results indicated that the community was a poverty-stricken community, suffering from chronic food insecurity. The results of the study will be used to facilitate the planning and implementation of sustainable, income-generating, community-based interventions aimed at promoting urban food security and alleviating poverty in the community in question. Opsomming Ten spyte van die groot hoeveelheid mense wat steeds wêrelwyd in armoede leef, duur die debat oor die definisie en betekenis van armoede nog altyd voort. Daar word twee definitiewe probleme met die meting van armoede ervaar, naamlik die identifisering van die armes in 'n gemeenskap, en die ontwikkeling van 'n

Mental health promotion initiatives for children and youth in contexts of poverty: the case of South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Inge; Swartz, Leslie; Bhana, Arvin; Flisher, Alan J

2010-09-01

In order to achieve sustainable development and a consequent reduction in levels of poverty, a multisectoral response to development incorporating pro-poor economic policies in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs) is required. An important aspect is strengthening the human capital asset base of vulnerable populations. This should include the promotion of mental health, which can play an important role in breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty and mental ill-health through promoting positive mental health outcomes within the context of risk. For each developmental phase of early childhood, middle childhood and adolescence, this article provides: (i) an overview of the critical risk influences and evidence of the role of mental health promotion initiatives in mediating these influences; (ii) a background to these risk influences in South Africa; and (iii) a review of mental health promotion initiatives addressing distal upstream influences at a macro-policy level in South Africa, as well as evidence-based micro- and community-level interventions that have the potential to be scaled up. From this review, strengths and gaps in existing micro- and community-level evidence-based mental health promotion interventions as well as macro-policy-level initiatives are identified, and recommendations made for South Africa that may also have applicability for other LMICs.

Law's Poverty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joel M Modiri

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This article adopts an analysis that explicitly politicises poverty and relates it to the concrete history of racialised capitalism and structural inequality that defined colonialism and apartheid and continues to persist and intensify in "post"-apartheid South Africa. Rather than formulating racialised poverty in legalist, economist or managerial terms, it should rather be understood as a form of oppression that comprises exploitation, marginalisation, powerlessness, cultural imperialism and violence. Such a formulation would make social structure, historical injustice and power central and would also allow for poverty to be grasped beyond a purely distributive logic by bringing to light the non-distributive, non-economic dimensions of poverty. Comprehending poverty in this way, as not only a question of economic distribution and empowerment, but also one of ethical, moral and even ontological recognition necessitates an enquiry into the emancipatory force of rights. Given their centrality in political and social discourse and in legal scholarship on poverty, it is worth considering whether and to what extent rights can be utilised in the struggle against (racialised poverty.

Do we understand the linkages between economic growth, poverty targets and poverty reduction?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Casse, Thorkil; Jensen, Stig Eduard Breitenstein

2009-01-01

This article contributes to the debate on poverty trends in Africa, looking at the argument for a correspondence between economic growth and poverty reduction. It questions whether a link between economic growth and poverty reduction can be established. We first look at the general picture...... appears more obvious, social and political unrest in 2009 casts doubt on the reliability of the data. Indeed, it is probable that an increase in poverty contributed to the crisis in Madagascar. Furthermore, there a signs that in both countries poverty strategies are increasingly giving way to Poverty...... Reduction Growth Facility programmes, closely related to former structural adjustment loans. We conclude, first, that analysing poverty strategies through Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers does not help in resolving the uncertainty, since these strategies assume a priori the existence of a link between...

Poverty: A Creature of Politics and a Question of Justice | Ramose ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Poverty, anywhere in the world, is the result of relationships among human beings. Poverty is thus historical, structural, systemic and conventional. These features of poverty apply equally to post-April 27 1994 South Africa. Both the interim and the final constitutions of South Africa are politically questionable with regard to ...

Can Funding for University Partnerships between Africa and the US Contribute to Social Development and Poverty Reduction?

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Christopher S.

2014-01-01

This study explores US funding for university partnerships between the US and Africa. The primary objective was to study how funds are facilitated through partnerships to promote social development and poverty reduction. Findings include the innovative and resilient nature of the 11 projects included in the study as well as pitfalls in the…

Development And Poverty: A Symbiotic Relationship And Its ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Poverty is present everywhere but the kind in Africa is of great magnitude both in its spread and destitutive dimension. In other places any manifestation of poverty is a challenge to move forward but in Africa, the reverse is the case. Therefore the continent and international community are not happy about it, hence various ...

Understanding Poverty

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Anne Jerneck

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Policies and strategies to fight global environmental degradation, gender inequality, and poverty are often inadequate, ineffective, or insufficient. In response, this article seeks potential synergies and leverage points between three significant interrelated discourses that are often treated separately—development, gender, and environment. Proceeding from a brief history of development thinking and poverty definitions, I describe indicators, strategies, and approaches to poverty reduction and gender equality. Second, I analyze how targeting, mainstreaming, and market-based initiatives all fail both to distinguish empirical from analytical gender and to incorporate environment and gender into development policy and action—despite their key role in meeting the normative goal of poverty reduction. Third, through a political-ecology lens, I suggest an integrated approach to poverty, inequality, and socioenvironmental challenges that arise at the intersections of development, gender, and environment, and for that, I draw examples from research on social and environmental change and action in sub-Saharan Africa.

Contribution of food security projects on poverty alleviation to the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Despite South Africa's economic growth having been accelerated considerably in the country, poverty levels have not decreased as one would have experienced. Food Security Projects initiated by the government of South Africa in order to help alleviate poverty within Limpopo Province have proved unsustainable and ...

Levels of poverty and the poverty gap in rural Limpopo

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R. R. Mears

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose/objectives: The aim of this paper is to obtain a better understanding of the income and expenditure patterns of selected deep rural villages. This is done by measuring the level of poverty and/or the poverty gap of 132 households in Limpopo, one of the poorest provinces in South Africa. Problem investigated: The Millennium Declaration symbolises the commitment to end extreme poverty, but limited data is available for rural areas to inform policy decisions. The relative income shares for individuals, households and percentile groups within a population provide the best information on poverty for policy formulation. The nature and size distribution of income are therefore central to analysing the poverty problem within low-income areas. The survey area is one of the poorest areas in South Africa, and shows what data is needed to measure and understand the extent of poverty. Design/Method/Approach: A representative sample of 132 households was drawn, which represents 6,9 percent of the estimated 1900 households in selected villages of rural Limpopo. A total of 740 household members were represented in the survey, with an average of 5,6 members per household. Originality/Value: Although this is a relatively small sample, it generated much-needed data on this very poor area of South Africa. Detailed empirical data on the income and expenditure patterns is not available, especially for rural areas. The socio-economic data from this research supported an important health project of the Water and Health Research Unit (WHRU of the University of Johannesburg. The article also lays the foundation for further research in this field of study, facilitating engagement with a number of related debates such as those about satisfaction of life, vulnerability to poverty, the geography of deprivation and the mapping of poverty. Conclusion: The main finding is that the government provides for many needs of the poor, especially in the deep rural areas. Only

Explaining Poverty Evolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arndt, Channing; Hussain, Mohammad Azhar; Jones, Edward Samuel

Measuring poverty remains a complex and contentious issue. This is particularly true in sub-Saharan Africa where poverty rates are higher, information bases typically weaker, and the underlying determinants of welfare relatively volatile. This paper employs recently collected data on household...... consumption in Mozambique to examine the evolution of consumption poverty with focus on the period 2002/03 to 2008/09. The paper contributes in four areas. First, the period in question was characterized by major movements in international commodity prices. Mozambique provides an illuminating case study...... of the implications of these world commodity price changes for living standards of poor people. Second, a novel ‘backcasting’ approach using a computable general equilibrium model of Mozambique, linked to a poverty module is introduced. Third, the backcasting approach is also employed to rigorously examine...

Poverty, inequality and the treated incidence of first-episode psychosis: an ecological study from South Africa.

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Burns, Jonathan K; Esterhuizen, Tonya

2008-04-01

It is now commonly accepted that a range of psychosocial and environmental factors interact with genetic vulnerability in the genesis of psychotic illness. The aim of this study was to investigate whether measures of poverty and income inequality impact upon the treated incidence of first-episode psychosis (FEP) in the District of Umgungundlovu, South Africa. Clinical and demographic data was collected from hospital records on all people aged 15-49 years from the District who presented to psychiatric services with FEP (DSM IV criteria) during 2005 (n = 160). All incident cases were grouped by municipality according to their recorded address. Measures of poverty and income inequality were calculated for each of the seven municipalities using data from the Statistics SA online database for the National Census 2001. Correlations were performed using SPSS to determine the relationships between treated incidence of FEP and poverty and inequality indices per municipality. There was a significant positive relationship between treated incidence and Inequality Index (Partial correlation coefficient 0.840; P = 0.036) and a non-significant negative relationship between treated incidence and Poverty Measure per municipality (Partial correlation coefficient -0.660; P = 0.154). These findings remained significant after adjusting for gender, age, ethnicity, urbanicity and employment status. Importantly, these results were not adjusted for individual level poverty. These findings lend support, in an African context, to increasing evidence that social, economic and political factors such as poverty and income inequality "shape both the landscape of risk for developing (psychosis) and the context in which health-care is provided" (Kelly in Soc Sci Med 61:721-730, 2005). These complex environmental factors appear to impact on the development and course of psychotic illness.

Vulnerability to asset-poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa

OpenAIRE

Echevin, Damien

2011-01-01

This paper presents a methodology to measure vulnerability to asset-poverty. Using repeated cross-section data, age cohort decomposition techniques focusing on second-order moments can be used to identify and estimate the variance of shocks on assets and, therefore, the probability of being poor in the future. Estimates from the Ghana Living Standard Surveys show that expected asset-poverty is a reliable proxy for expected consumption-poverty. Applying the methodology to nine Demographic Heal...

Population and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfson, M

1985-01-01

forced people to move long distances in search of food relief. It is too soon to tell whether or how much of the lands left behind can be rehabilitated and again become productive. The question arises as to whether appropriate policies, supported by adequate funds and technical know-how, can convert Africa's millions of young people from being a brake on development into a resource for the future. Policies and strategies that may be most appropriate to this end are: to take sufficient cognizance of the interrelationship between population and development and hence to be prepared to take the necessary steps to ensure that the two remain in balance; to realize that family planning programs mean more than a reduction in fertility but also the possibility of reducing infant and maternal mortality and morbidity; to back whatever family planning programs governments introduce; to plan comprehensively; and to effectively carry out the development strategies.

Water poverty and rural development: Evidence from South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Matshe, I

2013-08-01

Full Text Available link between household water and economic poverty of rural households, with households’ total monthly income used as an indicator of economic poverty. An adaptation of a comprehensive water poverty index, which considers water access, quality, use...

Tuberculosis and poverty: the contribution of patient costs in sub-Saharan Africa--a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Barter, Devra M; Agboola, Stephen O; Murray, Megan B; Bärnighausen, Till

2012-11-14

Tuberculosis (TB) is known to disproportionately affect the most economically disadvantaged strata of society. Many studies have assessed the association between poverty and TB, but only a few have assessed the direct financial burden TB treatment and care can place on households. Patient costs can be particularly burdensome for TB-affected households in sub-Saharan Africa where poverty levels are high; these costs include the direct costs of medical and non-medical expenditures and the indirect costs of time utilizing healthcare or lost wages. In order to comprehensively assess the existing evidence on the costs that TB patients incur, we undertook a systematic review of the literature. PubMed, EMBASE, Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, EconLit, Dissertation Abstracts, CINAHL, and Sociological Abstracts databases were searched, and 5,114 articles were identified. Articles were included in the final review if they contained a quantitative measure of direct or indirect patient costs for treatment or care for pulmonary TB in sub-Saharan Africa and were published from January 1, 1994 to Dec 31, 2010. Cost data were extracted from each study and converted to 2010 international dollars (I$). Thirty articles met all of the inclusion criteria. Twenty-one studies reported both direct and indirect costs; eight studies reported only direct costs; and one study reported only indirect costs. Depending on type of costs, costs varied from less than I$1 to almost I$600 or from a small fraction of mean monthly income for average annual income earners to over 10 times average annual income for income earners in the income-poorest 20% of the population. Out of the eleven types of TB patient costs identified in this review, the costs for hospitalization, medication, transportation, and care in the private sector were largest. TB patients and households in sub-Saharan Africa often incurred high costs when utilizing TB treatment and care, both within and outside of

International Remittances, Poverty and Inequality : a Case Study of ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

International Remittances, Poverty and Inequality : a Case Study of Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria (West Africa) ... through official and unofficial channels, and the impact of remittances on poverty and income inequality. ... Journal articles.

Poverty - The road ahead. A theological perspective

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P. G. J. Meiring

1993-08-01

Full Text Available The article focuses on the role of the Church in combating poverty in South Africa. After a brief discussion of Biblical perspectives on poverty, an overview of the involvement of the Church throughout history, especially during the second half of the 20th century, is given.

The Role of Micro-financing in Rural Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries

OpenAIRE

Juanah, Momoh

2005-01-01

Throughout the developing world, there is a desperate quest for a way out of the financial predicament confronting the rural poor. In most countries of the developing regions, especially South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, the rural population forms the larger proportion of the entire population and poverty is prevalent among them. According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD 2001), in an assessment of poverty in West and Central Africa, poverty in West and Central Af...

Capacity building for sustainable energy development and poverty alleviation in sub-saharan Africa - the contribution of AFREPREN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karekezi, S.; Kithyoma, W. [AFREPREN/FWD, Nairobi (Kenya)

2004-09-01

African Energy Policy Research Network and Foundation for Woodstoves (AFREPREN /FWD) is an African initiative on energy, environment and sustainable development. AFREPREN/FWD brings together 97 African energy researchers and policy makers who have a long-term interest in energy research and the attendant policy-making process. AFREPREN/FWD has initiated policy research studies in 19 African countries, namely: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. AFREPREN/FWD's ultimate goal is to promote the greater use of cleaner energy options such as renewables for poverty alleviation in Africa. The near-term objective of AFREPREN /FWD is to strengthen local research capacity and to harness it in the service of energy policy making and planning. Initiated in 1987, AFREPREN is a collective regional response to the widespread concern over the weak link between energy research and the formulation and implementation of energy policy in Africa. (orig.)

Formal-informal economy linkages: What implications for poverty in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The findings have implications for poverty analysis in South Africa. Policy which views poverty as being located outside the mainstream of the economy – in the so-called 'second' economy – is misleading. Instead, an integrated approach which views poverty as linked to and a product of the trajectory and growth patterns of ...

Urban Health and Welfare in Sub-Saharan Africa: Population Growth, Urbanisation, Water/Sanitation Services, Slumisation and Poverty

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RICHARD INGWE

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Spatio-temporal analysis was applied on data representing urbanisation, slumisation, poverty, safe water/ sanitation in urban sub-Saharan Africa (SSA. The findings include: rapid rates of national population growth and urbanisation throughout SSA from 1980 to 2005, averaging 93.8% (range: 90.5% points, lowest and highest rates being 40% (Lesotho and 130.5% (Niger, respectively; high national poverty rates, widespread in SSA: (>50% in about seven countries; it might have been similar in more countries if a large number of SSA countries had reported their 1993 poverty rates; high urban/rural poverty ratios (1.05-1.79 points range between Nigeria and Benin Republics. High average rate (73% of slumisation in SSA in 2001 (range: 96%, lowest and highest rates being in Zimbabwe (3% and Chad/Ethiopia (99%, respectively. SSA’s 2000 health adjusted life expectancy was generally low: 38.8 years (<40 years in 24 countries. Use of safe/improved water/sanitation services were poor almost throughout SSA: declined rapidly and ubiquitously from 72% (2000 to 55% (2002, minus 17% points decrease in three years within individual countries with alarming declines up to minus 69% points in Guinea. The policy implications of the findings include the urgent and imperative need to massively implement urban improvement programmes designed to provide health-inducing services/facilities across SSA.

Impact of human schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Adenowo, Abiola Fatimah; Oyinloye, Babatunji Emmanuel; Ogunyinka, Bolajoko Idiat; Kappo, Abidemi Paul

2015-01-01

Schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease of poverty ranks second among the most widespread parasitic disease in various nations in sub-Saharan Africa. Neglected tropical diseases are causes of about 534,000 deaths annually in sub-Saharan Africa and an estimated 57 million disability-adjusted life-years are lost annually due to the neglected tropical diseases. The neglected tropical diseases exert great health, social and financial burden on economies of households and governments. Schistosomiasis has profound negative effects on child development, outcome of pregnancy, and agricultural productivity, thus a key reason why the "bottom 500 million" inhabitants of sub-Saharan Africa continue to live in poverty. In 2008, 17.5 million people were treated globally for schistosomiasis, 11.7 million of those treated were from sub-Saharan Africa. This enervating disease has been successfully eradicated in Japan, as well as in Tunisia. Morocco and some Caribbean Island countries have made significant progress on control and management of this disease. Brazil, China and Egypt are taking steps towards elimination of the disease, while most sub-Saharan countries are still groaning under the burden of the disease. Various factors are responsible for the continuous and persistent transmission of schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa. These include climatic changes and global warming, proximity to water bodies, irrigation and dam construction as well as socio-economic factors such as occupational activities and poverty. The morbidity and mortality caused by this disease cannot be overemphasized. This review is an exposition of human schistosomiasis as it affects the inhabitants of various communities in sub-Sahara African countries. It is hoped this will bring a re-awakening towards efforts to combat this impoverishing disease in terms of vaccines development, alternative drug design, as well as new point-of-care diagnostics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights

Impact of human schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa

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Abiola Fatimah Adenowo

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease of poverty ranks second among the most widespread parasitic disease in various nations in sub-Saharan Africa. Neglected tropical diseases are causes of about 534,000 deaths annually in sub-Saharan Africa and an estimated 57 million disability-adjusted life-years are lost annually due to the neglected tropical diseases. The neglected tropical diseases exert great health, social and financial burden on economies of households and governments. Schistosomiasis has profound negative effects on child development, outcome of pregnancy, and agricultural productivity, thus a key reason why the “bottom 500 million” inhabitants of sub-Saharan Africa continue to live in poverty. In 2008, 17.5 million people were treated globally for schistosomiasis, 11.7 million of those treated were from sub-Saharan Africa. This enervating disease has been successfully eradicated in Japan, as well as in Tunisia. Morocco and some Caribbean Island countries have made significant progress on control and management of this disease. Brazil, China and Egypt are taking steps towards elimination of the disease, while most sub-Saharan countries are still groaning under the burden of the disease. Various factors are responsible for the continuous and persistent transmission of schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa. These include climatic changes and global warming, proximity to water bodies, irrigation and dam construction as well as socio-economic factors such as occupational activities and poverty. The morbidity and mortality caused by this disease cannot be overemphasized. This review is an exposition of human schistosomiasis as it affects the inhabitants of various communities in sub-Sahara African countries. It is hoped this will bring a re-awakening towards efforts to combat this impoverishing disease in terms of vaccines development, alternative drug design, as well as new point-of-care diagnostics.

Tuberculosis and poverty: the contribution of patient costs in sub-Saharan Africa – a systematic review

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is known to disproportionately affect the most economically disadvantaged strata of society. Many studies have assessed the association between poverty and TB, but only a few have assessed the direct financial burden TB treatment and care can place on households. Patient costs can be particularly burdensome for TB-affected households in sub-Saharan Africa where poverty levels are high; these costs include the direct costs of medical and non-medical expenditures and the indirect costs of time utilizing healthcare or lost wages. In order to comprehensively assess the existing evidence on the costs that TB patients incur, we undertook a systematic review of the literature. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, EconLit, Dissertation Abstracts, CINAHL, and Sociological Abstracts databases were searched, and 5,114 articles were identified. Articles were included in the final review if they contained a quantitative measure of direct or indirect patient costs for treatment or care for pulmonary TB in sub-Saharan Africa and were published from January 1, 1994 to Dec 31, 2010. Cost data were extracted from each study and converted to 2010 international dollars (I$). Results Thirty articles met all of the inclusion criteria. Twenty-one studies reported both direct and indirect costs; eight studies reported only direct costs; and one study reported only indirect costs. Depending on type of costs, costs varied from less than I$1 to almost I$600 or from a small fraction of mean monthly income for average annual income earners to over 10 times average annual income for income earners in the income-poorest 20% of the population. Out of the eleven types of TB patient costs identified in this review, the costs for hospitalization, medication, transportation, and care in the private sector were largest. Conclusion TB patients and households in sub-Saharan Africa often incurred high costs when utilizing TB treatment

Tuberculosis and poverty: the contribution of patient costs in sub-Saharan Africa – a systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barter Devra M

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Tuberculosis (TB is known to disproportionately affect the most economically disadvantaged strata of society. Many studies have assessed the association between poverty and TB, but only a few have assessed the direct financial burden TB treatment and care can place on households. Patient costs can be particularly burdensome for TB-affected households in sub-Saharan Africa where poverty levels are high; these costs include the direct costs of medical and non-medical expenditures and the indirect costs of time utilizing healthcare or lost wages. In order to comprehensively assess the existing evidence on the costs that TB patients incur, we undertook a systematic review of the literature. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, EconLit, Dissertation Abstracts, CINAHL, and Sociological Abstracts databases were searched, and 5,114 articles were identified. Articles were included in the final review if they contained a quantitative measure of direct or indirect patient costs for treatment or care for pulmonary TB in sub-Saharan Africa and were published from January 1, 1994 to Dec 31, 2010. Cost data were extracted from each study and converted to 2010 international dollars (I$. Results Thirty articles met all of the inclusion criteria. Twenty-one studies reported both direct and indirect costs; eight studies reported only direct costs; and one study reported only indirect costs. Depending on type of costs, costs varied from less than I$1 to almost I$600 or from a small fraction of mean monthly income for average annual income earners to over 10 times average annual income for income earners in the income-poorest 20% of the population. Out of the eleven types of TB patient costs identified in this review, the costs for hospitalization, medication, transportation, and care in the private sector were largest. Conclusion TB patients and households in sub-Saharan Africa often incurred high costs

Poverty and Information and Communication Technology Systems in ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Experiment Study - Tanzania: Role of ICTs on Poverty Reduction Among Micro and Small Entrepreneurs (MSEs) In Urban Njombe and Makambako, Tanzania. 49583. Études. Commission for Science and Technology: An Overview of PICTURE-Africa. 49394. Études. Digital and other poverties : exploring the connection in ...

Poverty-Related Diseases College: a virtual African-European network to build research capacity.

Science.gov (United States)

Dorlo, Thomas P C; Fernández, Carmen; Troye-Blomberg, Marita; de Vries, Peter J; Boraschi, Diana; Mbacham, Wilfred F

2016-01-01

The Poverty-Related Diseases College was a virtual African-European college and network that connected young African and European biomedical scientists working on poverty-related diseases. The aim of the Poverty-Related Diseases College was to build sustainable scientific capacity and international networks in poverty-related biomedical research in the context of the development of Africa. The Poverty-Related Diseases College consisted of three elective and mandatory training modules followed by a reality check in Africa and a science exchange in either Europe or the USA. In this analysis paper, we present our experience and evaluation, discuss the strengths and encountered weaknesses of the programme, and provide recommendations to policymakers and funders.

The HIV-poverty thesis re-examined: poverty, wealth or inequality as a social determinant of HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa?

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Ashley M

2012-07-01

Although health is generally believed to improve with higher wealth, research on HIV in sub-Saharan Africa has shown otherwise. Whereas researchers and advocates have frequently advanced poverty as a social determinant that can help to explain sub-Saharan Africa's disproportionate burden of HIV infection, recent evidence from population surveys suggests that HIV infection is higher among wealthier individuals. Furthermore, wealthier countries in Africa have experienced the fastest growing epidemics. Some researchers have theorized that inequality in wealth may be more important than absolute wealth in explaining why some countries have higher rates of infection and rapidly increasing epidemics. Studies taking a longitudinal approach have further suggested a dynamic process whereby wealth initially increases risk for HIV acquisition and later becomes protective. Prior studies, conducted exclusively at either the individual or the country level, have neither attempted to disentangle the effects of absolute and relative wealth on HIV infection nor to look simultaneously at different levels of analysis within countries at different stages in their epidemics. The current study used micro-, meso- and macro-level data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) across 170 regions within sixteen countries in sub-Saharan Africa to test the hypothesis that socioeconomic inequality, adjusted for absolute wealth, is associated with greater risk of HIV infection. These analyses reveal that inequality trumps wealth: living in a region with greater inequality in wealth was significantly associated with increased individual risk of HIV infection, net of absolute wealth. The findings also reveal a paradox that supports a dynamic interpretation of epidemic trends: in wealthier regions/countries, individuals with less wealth were more likely to be infected with HIV, whereas in poorer regions/countries, individuals with more wealth were more likely to be infected with HIV. These

The utilisation of the right of children to shelter to alleviate poverty in South Africa

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L Jansen van Rensburg

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Children being the most vulnerable members of society are the one's most affected by living in poverty. This unacceptable situation can inter alia be attributed to the disastrous effects of Apartheid. During this unfortunate period in our nation's history millions of people were unjustly evicted from their homes and forced to live in deplorable conditions. Moreover, many of these people were left homeless or without the necessary adequate shelter. Children who were born into these circumstances were denied basic resources such as proper shelter, food, water and health care services.These unfortunate circumstances existed at the adoption of South Africa 's democratic Constitution. The preamble of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa , 1996 reaffirms government's commitment to heal the inequalities of the past and improve the quality of life of all citizens. The Constitution is based on certain fundamental values, most importantly, human dignity, freedom and equality. The fact that these values are denied to those people living without access to basic resources such as adequate housing/shelter, food, water or health care services cannot be dismissed. To facilitate South Africa 's development as a democratic state based on human dignity, freedom and equality, the problem of poverty must be addressed. The Constitutional Court , in Government of the Republic of South Africa and Others v Grootboom and Others 2000 11 BCLR 1169 (CC, has recently stated that the effective realisation of socio-economic rights is key to the advancement of a value based democratic South Africa .Section 26 of the Constitution grants everyone the right to have access to adequate housing and section 28 that grants every child the additional right to basic shelter among others. By virtue of section 28(1(b the primary responsibility to provide children with the necessary adequate housing/shelter is vested in their parents, unless the parents are unable to fulfil

Multidimensional Measurement of Poverty among Women in Sub-Saharan Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Batana, Yele Maweki

2013-01-01

Since the seminal work of Sen, poverty has been recognized as a multidimensional phenomenon. The recent availability of relevant databases renewed the interest in this approach. This paper estimates multidimensional poverty among women in fourteen Sub-Saharan African countries using the Alkire and Foster multidimensional poverty measures, whose…

Monitoring Perceptions of the Causes of Poverty in South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Davids, Yul Derek; Gouws, Amanda

2013-01-01

This study explored how people perceive the causes of poverty. Literature revealed that there are three broad theoretical explanations of perceptions of the causes of poverty, namely individualistic explanations, where blame is placed squarely on the poor themselves; structural explanations, where poverty is blamed on external social and economic…

Reconsidering the Freedom Charter, the black theology of liberation and the African proverb about the locust’s head in the context of poverty in South Africa

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Ndikho Mtshiselwa

2016-07-01

Full Text Available While South Africa attained liberation from the apartheid rule in 1994, the legacy of colonialism and apartheid – in the form of poverty and economic inequality – continues to haunt black South Africans. The aim of this article is to make a case for the equitable sharing of South Africa’s mineral wealth amongst all its citizens with the view to alleviate poverty. Firstly, this article provides a reflection on the Freedom Charter and suggests that the values of the Charter, for instance, the sharing of resources and wealth, are relevant in South Africa today. Secondly, it is argued in the present article that the preferential option for the poor which is upheld in the black theology of liberation is equally relevant in post-apartheid South Africa where many black South Africans remain poor. Thirdly, this article argues that the African proverb, Bana ba motho ba ngwathelana hlogo ya tšie [The siblings share the head of a locust], also echoes the idea of equitable sharing of resources with a view to alleviate poverty. Lastly, the author submits that the idea of equitable sharing of resources and wealth that is echoed in the Freedom Charter, the black theology of liberation and the African wise saying support the equitable redistribution of the mineral wealth to the benefit of all South Africans.

Poor livestock keepers: ecosystem-poverty-health interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Grace, Delia; Lindahl, Johanna; Wanyoike, Francis; Bett, Bernard; Randolph, Tom; Rich, Karl M

2017-07-19

Humans have never been healthier, wealthier or more numerous. Yet, present success may be at the cost of future prosperity and in some places, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, poverty persists. Livestock keepers, especially pastoralists, are over-represented among the poor. Poverty has been mainly attributed to a lack of access, whether to goods, education or enabling institutions. More recent insights suggest ecosystems may influence poverty and the self-reinforcing mechanisms that constitute poverty traps in more subtle ways. The plausibility of zoonoses as poverty traps is strengthened by landmark studies on disease burden in recent years. While in theory, endemic zoonoses are best controlled in the animal host, in practice, communities are often left to manage disease themselves, with the focus on treatment rather than prevention. We illustrate this with results from a survey on health costs in a pastoral ecosystem. Epidemic zoonoses are more likely to elicit official responses, but these can have unintended consequences that deepen poverty traps. In this context, a systems understanding of disease control can lead to more effective and pro-poor disease management. We illustrate this with an example of how a system dynamics model can help optimize responses to Rift Valley fever outbreaks in Kenya by giving decision makers real-time access to the costs of the delay in vaccinating. In conclusion, a broader, more ecological understanding of poverty and of the appropriate responses to the diseases of poverty can contribute to improved livelihoods for livestock keepers in Africa.This article is part of the themed issue 'One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being'. © 2017 The Authors.

Child Labor, Learning Problems, and Poverty

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Mark

2017-01-01

In Africa, approximately 80 million children are working. Africa's 41% child labor rate is nearly twice as high as that in Asia. This study examined whether child labor is a direct result of poverty or of reading and math problems in school. The study analyzed reading and math scores of 62 child laborers and 62 non-child laborers from a farming…

Urbanisation, poverty and sexual behaviour: the tale of five African cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Greif, Meredith J; Dodoo, F Nii-Amoo; Jayaraman, Anuja

2011-01-01

The question of how urbanisation and poverty are linked in sub-Saharan Africa is an increasingly pressing one. The urban character of the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa exacerbates concern about the urbanisation - poverty relationship. Recent empirical work has linked urban poverty, and particularly slum residence, to risky sexual behaviour in Kenya's capital city, Nairobi. This paper explores the generalisability of these assertions about the relationship between urban poverty and sexual behaviour using Demographic and Health Survey data from five African cities: Accra (Ghana), Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania), Harare (Zimbabwe), Kampala (Uganda) and Nairobi (Kenya). The study affirms that, although risky behaviour varies across the five cities, slum residents demonstrate riskier sexual behaviour compared with non-slum residents. There is earlier sexual debut, lower condom usage and more multiple sexual partners among women residing in slum households regardless of setting, suggesting a relatively uniform effect of urban poverty on sexual risk behaviour.

Promoting Debates on Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction in ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Promoting Debates on Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction in Eastern Africa through Strengthening the Links between Research and the Media. Policy researchers have a key role to play in insuring that economic growth and poverty reduction plans are responsive to the needs and interests of poor people. They can ...

Globalization, Trade and Poverty in Ghana | CRDI - Centre de ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

1 janv. 2012 ... The persistence of poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), in the face of increased globalization and rapid trade liberalization during the past two decades has inspired considerable debate on the impact of globalization, in general, and trade liberalization, in particular, on poverty. The standard argument is ...

Urban agriculture and urban poverty alleviation: South African debates

OpenAIRE

Rogerson, Christian M.

1998-01-01

Growing international attention has focussed on the potential role of urban agriculture in poverty alleviation. The aim in this paper is to analyse the existing challenge of urban poverty in South Africa and examine the potential role of urban agriculture as a component of a pro-poor urban development strategy.

Depth of poverty in an infomral settlement in the Vaal region, South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Despite the large number of people currently living in poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, the debate about the definition and meaning of poverty continues. Two distinct problems exist regarding the measurement of poverty, namely the difficulty of identifying the poor in a population and the difficulty in developing an index for the ...

Impact of poverty on hypertension and cardiovascular disease in sub-Saharan Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Seedat, Y K

2007-01-01

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has huge amounts of natural resources and a source of strategic minerals. It is not overpopulated compared to the Asian continent, yet the economic conditions have deteriorated alarmingly in recent years. It is the poorest continent and has the lowest per capita income in the world. An analysis of the causes of poverty and its impact on health, particularly cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and hypertension, was carried out and is reported on here. A 'second-wave epidemic' is currently sweeping through SSA, other developing countries and Eastern Europe, making a comprehensive CVD programme necessary. Social, economic and cultural factors impair the control of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, tobacco use and other risk factors for CVD in SSA. Primary prevention through a population-based, lifestyle-linked programme, as well as cost-effective methods for detection and management are synergistically linked. The existing healthcare infrastructure needs to be orientated to meet the challenge of CVD, while empowering the community through health education.

Poverty, sexual behaviour, gender and HIV infection among young black men and women in Cape Town, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Nattrass, Nicoli; Maughan-Brown, Brendan; Seekings, Jeremy; Whiteside, Alan

2012-12-01

This article contributes methodologically and substantively to the debate over the importance of poverty, sexual behaviour and circumcision in relation to HIV infection, using panel data on young black men and women in Cape Town, South Africa. Methodological challenges included problems of endogeneity and blunt indicator variables, especially for the measurement of sexual behaviour. Noting these difficulties, we found that the importance of socioeconomic and sexual-behavioural factors differed between men and women. While we found a clear association between the number of years of sexual activity and HIV status among both men and women, we found that past participation in a concurrent sexual partnership increased the odds of HIV infection for men but not women. Women, but not men, who made the transition from school to tertiary education (our key indicator of socioeconomic status) were less likely to be HIV-positive than those who made the transition from school to unemployment. Both poverty and sexual behaviour matter to individuals' HIV risk, but in gendered ways.

Climate volatility deepens poverty vulnerability in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, Syud A; Diffenbaugh, Noah S; Hertel, Thomas W

2009-01-01

Extreme climate events could influence poverty by affecting agricultural productivity and raising prices of staple foods that are important to poor households in developing countries. With the frequency and intensity of extreme climate events predicted to change in the future, informed policy design and analysis requires an understanding of which countries and groups are going to be most vulnerable to increasing poverty. Using a novel economic-climate analysis framework, we assess the poverty impacts of climate volatility for seven socio-economic groups in 16 developing countries. We find that extremes under present climate volatility increase poverty across our developing country sample-particularly in Bangladesh, Mexico, Indonesia, and Africa-with urban wage earners the most vulnerable group. We also find that global warming exacerbates poverty vulnerability in many nations.

Poverty dynamics, income inequality and vulnerability to shocks in rural Kenya

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Radeny, M.A.O.

2011-01-01

Persistent poverty remains a huge challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Kenya, official statistics indicate that the incidence of rural poverty was 49% in 2005/2006. This study uses different approaches and data sources to explore temporal and spatial dimensions of rural welfare in Kenya. The

The link between poverty and malnutrition: A South African perspective

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this article, a brief review of the nutritional problems in South Africa, as well as the intergenerational, vicious cycle of poverty and malnutrition, are used to argue for the necessity of including a nutrition intervention component in poverty alleviation programmes. It is concluded that this cycle can be broken by improving the ...

Poachers and Poverty: Assessing Objective and Subjective Measures of Poverty among Illegal Hunters Outside Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eli J Knapp

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Illegal hunters in Africa may be making rational decisions about the hunting activities they partake in. These decisions could be linked to their socioeconomic status and the livelihood opportunities available to them. In particular, poverty is widely considered the leading driver that causes a household's inhabitants to take up poaching in protected areas. Programs aiming to protect vulnerable wildlife populations by mitigating poaching have historically relied upon income-based poverty metrics in efforts to reduce regional poverty and incentivise local inhabitants to discontinue poaching activities. Because such data sets that deal with poachers directly are rare, assumptions about the role of poverty, and the extent of poverty, that drives poaching have been hard to test. This study uses a unique sample of 173 self-admitted poachers living in villages adjacent to Ruaha National Park in Tanzania to explore the influence of poverty on poaching. Results indicated high demographic and household economy heterogeneity among poaching households. Capability deprivation examined more subjective measures of poverty and revealed that poachers are strongly motivated by the need to improve their incomes, but are not necessarily the poorest of the poor.

Combining disparate data sources for improved poverty prediction and mapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Pokhriyal, Neeti; Jacques, Damien Christophe

2017-11-14

More than 330 million people are still living in extreme poverty in Africa. Timely, accurate, and spatially fine-grained baseline data are essential to determining policy in favor of reducing poverty. The potential of "Big Data" to estimate socioeconomic factors in Africa has been proven. However, most current studies are limited to using a single data source. We propose a computational framework to accurately predict the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) at a finest spatial granularity and coverage of 552 communes in Senegal using environmental data (related to food security, economic activity, and accessibility to facilities) and call data records (capturing individualistic, spatial, and temporal aspects of people). Our framework is based on Gaussian Process regression, a Bayesian learning technique, providing uncertainty associated with predictions. We perform model selection using elastic net regularization to prevent overfitting. Our results empirically prove the superior accuracy when using disparate data (Pearson correlation of 0.91). Our approach is used to accurately predict important dimensions of poverty: health, education, and standard of living (Pearson correlation of 0.84-0.86). All predictions are validated using deprivations calculated from census. Our approach can be used to generate poverty maps frequently, and its diagnostic nature is, likely, to assist policy makers in designing better interventions for poverty eradication. Copyright © 2017 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Economic growth, employment and poverty in the Middle East and North Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. Messkoub (Mahmood)

2008-01-01

textabstractThis paper  provides an assessment of economic growth, employment and poverty reduction in the Arab MENA region. Considering the high rate of unemployment (especially the youth unemployment) and poverty in most countries in the region employment and poverty impacts of growth are of

Partnerships for fighting rural poverty. Africa steps up campaign against the tsetse fly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kabayo, J.P.; Boussaha, A.

2002-01-01

A Plan of Action to guide the process of implementing the decision by the African Heads of State on tsetse eradication was designed by an OAU's Task Force of 22 experts drawn from different African countries. The Plan proposes the initiation and co-ordination of a Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Eradication Campaign (PATTEC) and describes the key activities along with recommendations regarding the effective methods of work in the execution of the campaign. It recognizes the trans-boundary nature of the tsetse and trypanosomosis problem and advocates an area-wide approach, involving the identification and targeting of individual zones of tsetse infestations and the application of cost-effective tsetse suppression methods integrated with the Sterile Insect Technique. While the African tsetse belt covers an area of about 10 million km 2 , stretching from Senegal in the north to South Africa in the south, tsetse infestation is not continuous and uniform over the entire expanse of the tsetse belt. The tsetse belt is in the form of pockets, 'islands' or discrete zones of infestation under the influence of ecological, geographical, physical or biological factors. The application of the area-wide principle to systematically eliminate tsetse infestations in each individual area at a time will create an ever-expanding tsetse-free zone, with minimal risks of re-invasion from neighbouring areas or re-infestation from relic populations in the treated areas. This systematic elimination of tsetse populations from these areas, one at a time, will ultimately cover Africa's entire tsetse belt. The tsetse eradication activities in each identified area will be managed as an independent project, with emphasis on setting clear targets, involving clear goals and deadlines, designed to ensure short-term success while maintaining focus on the long-term objective. The Plan of Action recognizes the need for one coordinated campaign whose operational unit will be at the level of project

Access to energy and fuel poverty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayer, Nathalie

2013-01-01

A first part addresses the issue of access to a modern and sustainable energy in developing countries, notably in rural areas of Africa and Asia. Some experiments are evoked like, for example, the financing and support of an Indonesian NGO for the construction of hydroelectric micro power plants. In this respect, decentralized solutions seem to be the most promising, but also the use of new technologies for lighting equipment using 3 energy sources (electric grid, solar energy, rechargeable battery). The Lighting Africa program is evoked. The second part addresses the issue of fuel poverty, notably in France but also in other European countries (data are provided which indicate the numbers of households unable to pay for a proper heating, or with bad quality housing). The authors outline that fuel poverty is a complex problem which requires both emergency measures and prevention programs on a medium and long term: improvement of energy efficiency in the housing sector in order to reduce consumption, implementation of new and innovating technologies (housing rehabilitation with local and green materials, R and D efforts, and development of smart meters). The economic and social dimensions of this problem of fuel poverty are outlined by members of associations

Development and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Addison, Tony; Pikkarainen, Ville; Rönkkö, Risto

2017-01-01

This paper puts sub-Saharan Africa’s economic development into perspective. While much did not go as hoped for at independence, much of the region has been on a more promising development trajectory since the mid-1990s, as we illustrate using growth, poverty, and human development indicators. We...

Sepsis in Africa: practical steps to stem the tide | Otu | Pan African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sepsis in Africa: practical steps to stem the tide. Akaninyene Otu, James Elston, Emmanuel Nsutebu. Abstract. Pan African Medical Journal 2015; 21. Full Text: EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT · AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE AJOL.

Development, Underdevelopment and Poverty: A Linguistic Study of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... unlike the Asian Tigers such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Indian and South Korea ... which is pre-occupied with corruption and abuse of office by political leaders in ... Keywords: Africa, Development, Poverty, Socio-cultural structure, Politician, ...

Regional responses: Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wereko-Brobby, C.Y.

1992-01-01

In this paper, the author presents the theory that for Africa to work towards reduction of global warming, it must first address its environmental problems; i.e. land use, deforestation, desertification, poverty and hunger. He argues that Africa should aim for growth in the productivity and quantity of energy use. The following suggestions were made: Africa must shift from low-quantity biomass to secondary sources in the short term; developed countries must avoid pushing experimental and frontier technologies on Africa; with financial and technical help, Africa could develop its largely untapped reserves of hydropower. Nuclear power should not be an option because reliable production is not possible at present

Rural food insecurity and poverty mappings and their linkage with water resources in the Limpopo River Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Magombeyi, M. S.; Taigbenu, A. E.; Barron, J.

2016-04-01

The mappings of poverty and food insecurity were carried out for the rural districts of the four riparian countries (Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe) of the Limpopo river basin using the results of national surveys that were conducted between 2003 and 2013. The analysis shows lower range of food insecure persons (0-40%) than poverty stricken persons (0-95%) that is attributable to enhanced government and non-government food safety networks in the basin countries, the dynamic and transitory nature of food insecurity which depends on the timings of the surveys in relation to harvests, markets and food prices, and the limited dimension of food insecurity in relation to poverty which tends to be a more structural and pervasive socio-economic condition. The usefulness of this study in influencing policies and strategies targeted at alleviating poverty and improving rural livelihoods lies with using food insecurity mappings to address short-term socio-economic conditions and poverty mappings to address more structural and long-term deprivations. Using the poverty line of 1.25/day per person (2008-2013) in the basin, Zimbabwe had the highest percentage of 68.7% of its rural population classified as poor, followed by Mozambique with 68.2%, South Africa with 56.1% and Botswana with 20%. While average poverty reduction of 6.4% was observed between 2003 and 2009 in Botswana, its population growth of 20.1% indicated no real poverty reduction. Similar observations are made about Mozambique and Zimbabwe where population growth outstripped poverty reductions. In contrast, both average poverty levels and population increased by 4.3% and 11%, respectively, in South Africa from 2007 to 2010. While areas of high food insecurity and poverty consistently coincide with low water availability, it does not indicate a simple cause-effect relationship between water, poverty and food insecurity. With limited water resources, rural folks in the basin require stronger

Tourism and microcredit for sustainable community development in Sub-Saharan Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoeve ten, Marieke

2009-01-01

Poverty reduction is one of the main Millennium Development Goals (United Nations, 2000). Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the highest prevalence of poverty. Almost half the population lives in extreme poverty (Chen & Ravillion, 2004; UN, 2005). Pove

Child mortality and poverty in three world regions (the West, Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa) 1988-2010: Evidence of relative intra-regional neglect?

Science.gov (United States)

Pritchard, Colin; Keen, Steven

2016-12-01

Poverty kills children. This study assesses the relationship between poverty and child mortality rates (CMRs) in 71 societies from three world regions to determine whether some countries, relative to their region, neglect their children. Spearman rank order correlations were calculated to determine any association between the CMR and poverty data, including income inequality and gross national income. A current CMR one standard deviation (SD) above or below the regional average and a percentage change between 1988 and 2010 were used as the measures to assess the progress of nations. There were positive significant correlations between higher CMRs and relative poverty measures in all three regions. In Western countries, the current CMRs in the USA, New Zealand and Canada were 1 SD below the Western mean. The narrowest income inequalities, apart from Japan, were seen in the Scandinavian nations alongside low CMRs. In Asia, the current CMRs in Pakistan, Myanmar and India were the highest in their region and were 1 SD below the regional mean. Alongside South Korea, these nations had the lowest percentage reductions in CMRs. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the current CMRs in Somalia, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola were the highest in their region and were 1 SD below the regional mean. Those concerned with the pursuit of social justice need to alert their societies to the corrosive impact of poverty on child mortality. Progress in reducing CMRs provides an indication of how well nations are meeting the needs of their children. Further country-specific research is required to explain regional differences.

The social determinants of HIV serostatus in sub-Saharan Africa: an inverse relationship between poverty and HIV?

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Ashley M

2010-01-01

Contrary to theories that poverty acts as an underlying driver of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), an increasing body of evidence at the national and individual levels indicates that wealthier countries, and wealthier individuals within countries, are at heightened risk for HIV. This article reviews the literature on what has increasingly become known as the positive-wealth gradient in HIV infection in SSA, or the counterintuitive finding that the poor do not have higher rates of HIV. This article also discusses the programmatic and theoretical implications of the positive HIV-wealth gradient for traditional behavioral interventions and the social determinants of health literature, and concludes by proposing that economic and social policies be leveraged as structural interventions to prevent HIV in SSA.

Do Family Structure and Poverty Affect Sexual Risk Behaviors of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJRH Managing Editor

Family Structure, Poverty and Sexual Risk Behaviors ... Johannesburg, South Africa; 2Demography and Social Statistics Department, .... to high rate of adolescent sexual promiscuity as a ..... birth control and consequences of premarital sex.

Biodiversity Management and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Hence, the keeping of parks, game and forest reserves, are desirable in accordance with international conventions and initiatives, but these efforts are perceived by the rural dwellers as attempts to entrap their means of livelihood. This perception is aggravated by the chronic rural poverty in most parts of Africa. This paper

Improving animal health and livestock productivity to reduce poverty.

Science.gov (United States)

Pradère, J-P

2014-12-01

This study is based on scientific publications, statistics and field observations. It shows the importance of livestock in the economy and in the risk management strategies implemented by poor farming households. A comparison of livestock performance trends with the evolution of rural poverty in developing countries indicates that growth in livestock production alone is not enough to reduce rural poverty. To help reduce poverty, sustainable production should be based on productivity gains. Prerequisites for improving productivity include better public policies, enhanced research and the reduction of animal disease risk. The study draws attention to the economic, social and environmental consequences of inadequate support for animal health and production in the least developed countries, especially those of sub-Saharan Africa.

Water reform in Sub-Saharan Africa: what is the difference?

Science.gov (United States)

Van Koppen, Barbara

Since the early 1990s African governments took an active part in the global movement of water reform towards Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The first step consisted primarily of assimilating the generic principles of IWRM. At this generic level, water reform in Sub-Saharan Africa seems quite similar to water reform elsewhere in the developed and developing world. However, in taking the second step of operationalizing generic principles into concrete actions on the ground, at least three salient differences between Sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere emerged: (a) Africa’s relative abundance of water resources but its scarcity of economic means to harness available water resources; (b) the importance of agriculture and agricultural water development for economic growth and poverty eradication; and (c) the need for systems of water rights and financial resource mobilization that are separated and suit the African reality in which large water users are relatively few, while the bulk of water users are scattered smallholders. This paper discusses the early operationalization with regard to these three unique features and identifies lessons learnt.

Good Governance And Ubuntu As Prerequisites For Poverty ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

South Africa's young democracy continues to show teething problems as mirrored in the continuous gap that exist between the rich and the poor. These inequalities severely confront municipalities' efforts to eradicate poverty and enhance sustainable development. The article attempts to answer the question: can these ...

Energy Justice in Sub-Saharan Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Buchholz, Kathleen B.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest rates of electrification and some of the worst education statistics worldwide. In the absence of strong infrastructure for a reliable grid system and quality universal primary schooling, the poor suffer significantly. Though substantial research has been done on both issues separately, the relationship between the two has yet to be explored. This thesis uses social justice theories to introduce the connections between energy poverty and an individual's education capabilities through a case study in Zambia. Case study research was carried out in the urban low-resource settlements of Lusaka, Zambia over a period of two months with Lifeline Energy, using methods of participant observation. Drawing on trends discovered in survey responses, interviews and feedback from a distribution of renewable technologies, this study demonstrates that a lack of modern forms of energy detracts from education. By synthesizing the data with Martha Nussbaum's capabilities approach and Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir's scarcity theory, the research reveals that energy poverty hinders an individual's ability to study and gain a quality education and diminishes their available cognitive capacity to learn by tunneling attention to the resource deficit. Furthermore, it supports the claim that energy poverty is not gender neutral. The research concludes that the scarcity caused by energy poverty can be lessened by the investment in and use of small-scale renewable technologies which alleviates some of the daily stress and grind of poverty. This thesis lays the groundwork to recognize energy poverty as an injustice. Keywords: Energy Poverty, Education, Gender, Sub-Saharan Africa, Scarcity, Capabilities Approach..

Beneficiaries’ perspective on the contribution of social grants to alleviating poverty in an informal settlement

OpenAIRE

2014-01-01

M.A. (Social Work) Poverty is perceived by various authors to bea challenge in African countries, including South Africa. O’Brien and Mazibuko (1998, p. 140) state that poverty “is characterised by a host of factors, including under-nutrition, unemployment, illiteracy, and unequal and poor access to health, housing, education and decision-making resources”. The above-mentioned authors state that these factors both result from and perpetuate poverty. According to Rogerson (1996), the effect...

Redistributing environmental tax revenue to reduce poverty in South Africa: The cases of energy and water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JH Van Heerden

2014-05-01

Full Text Available South Africa, as an upper middle-income, resource-intensive developing country with an open economy, has to find innovative ways to combat poverty, promote economic growth and reduce the intensity of resource use, simultaneously.  One option is to explore the plausibility of achieving a double dividend by levying a tax on water and energy and recycling the revenue back to the economy by allowing for a reduction in other forms of taxation.  According to the double dividend theory it is possible, under some conditions, to achieve both environmental and economic objectives.  We investigated such a possibility in the South African economy using an integrated economy/environment CGE model and found that it is indeed possible to achieve such double dividend benefits.  Given the prevailing economic and environmental contexts, government should actively search for ways to achieve such dividends.

Poverty and development in Nigeria: trailing the MDGs? | Omideyi ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Poverty levels in the developing world, especially Sub-Saharan Africa still pose major challenges to overall development in the continent and globally, against the backdrop of the ... markets and government and market failures they cannot enjoy the economic development experienced in high income, developed countries.

Preventing violence while reducing poverty | CRDI - Centre de ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Learn more about CSVR's project, “Assessing the impact of state-community collaboration to address urban violence in South Africa.” Discover other projects that seek to understand how urban violence, poverty, and inequalities interact through the Safe and Inclusive Cities initiative, a partnership of IDRC and the UK's ...

Is globalization reducing poverty and inequality?

Science.gov (United States)

Wade, Robert Hunter

2004-01-01

Over the past 20 years or so, India, China, and the rest of East Asia experienced fast economic growth and falls in the poverty rate, Latin America stagnated, and the former Soviet Union, Central and Eastern Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa regressed. But what are the net trends? The neoliberal argument says that world poverty and income inequality fell over the past two decades for the first time in more than a century and a half, thanks to the rising density of economic integration across national borders. The evidence therefore confirms that globalization in the context of the world economic regime in place since the end of Bretton Woods generates more "mutual benefit" than "conflicting interests." This article questions the empirical basis of the neoliberal argument.

Macroeconomics, (Adult) Education, and Poverty Eradication in Southern Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Nhamo, Senia; Nhamo, Godwell

2006-05-01

The Millennium Summit held in New York in September 2000 outlined the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The first of these involves the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, setting two targets: halving by 2015 the percentage of the world's populace in 1990 with income less than US-1 a day (i.e., cutting this percentage from 27.9 to 14%); and halving the share of people who suffer from hunger. As for education, the MDGs seek to ensure that all children can complete primary schooling by 2015. Drawing on examples from selected southern African countries, the present study examines the need to strengthen economic support for (adult) education as an instrument of poverty eradication. It argues that human capital is one of the fundamental determinants of economic growth, and that this economic resource is essentially determined in both qualitative and quantitative regards by education.

Income inequality, poverty and socioeconomic development in Bangladesh: an empirical investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, I; Khan, H

1986-06-01

By analyzing the data for 1963-1964 through 1976-1977, this paper studies the pattern of income distribution and poverty in Bangladesh, and it also compares the socioeconomic status of the country in the mid-1970s with other developing countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. There has been a drastic increase in inequality and poverty in recent years, and this disturbing finding is reinforced by the fact that Bangladesh occupies the lowest position in the Third World in terms of a composite social index. The very poor within the poverty population suffered most, and the increase in the extent of poverty was most noticeable in the rural sector. The broad policy recommendation is that relatively more attention should be given to the social sectors white allocating resources for the country's future development.

Fuel poverty is facing a data challenge - Which strategies to struggle against fuel poverty? Propositions for an ecologic and social transition policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erard, Timothee; Chancel, Lucas; Saujot, Mathieu

2015-01-01

The authors address three main questions: how are structured the network of actors and the tools for the struggle against fuel poverty, what are the specific data challenges faced by the actors and the possible responses, and which lessons can be learned for the governance of energy transition in its whole. After a presentation of the context of fuel poverty (analysis of tools for the struggle against fuel poverty, the use of social-energetic data), this study, based on about forty interviews of various actors and on a workshop, proposes an analysis framework which distinguishes six steps in the definition and implementation of policies of struggle against fuel poverty. After a description of the current status and an identification of required improvements for each step, the authors propose a set of recommendations, draw lessons for urban policies aimed at an ecologic transformation and a modernisation of the social protection system in terms of level of intervention, scope of actions, and ownership and access to data bases. These recommendations more particularly address the definition of fuel poverty, its diagnosis at the national and at the territorial level, a better identification of concerned households, and an assessment of existing arrangements

Poverty, Job Quality and Labor Market Dynamics in the Middle East ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Poverty, Job Quality and Labor Market Dynamics in the Middle East and North Africa ... This project will explore links between labour market dynamics and the quality ... public health, and health systems research relevant to the emerging crisis.

Production, Inequality and Poverty linkages in South Africa

OpenAIRE

Nicholas Ngepah

2011-01-01

The Kuznets inequality-development hypothesis can be tested with time-series data rather than the cross-section analyses found in earlier literature. Single-country time-series analysis cannot be done without addressing endogeneity between output and inequality. South Africa has been under-researched in this area due to a lack of data. Recent data released by the Presidency of South Africa makes such analysis possible. Besides, the use of a single inequality index in such a multiracial societ...

IDRC on Microfinance and Poverty

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

The first step in making micro-insurance more accessible is simply finding out what works. ... make better decisions, increase productivity, and reduce poverty. Now, DrumNet is developing a new credit system to allow poor farmers to purchase.

Fight against fuel poverty. Levers, stakes and expectations of the fight against fuel poverty in housing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Payen, Luc; Pamart, Isabelle; Lacroix, Olivier

2013-10-01

'Is in fuel poverty a person who feels in his particular housing difficulties have the necessary energy supply to the satisfaction of basic needs due to the inadequacy of resources or its habitat conditions'. The rising cost of energy commodities in the late 2000's, added to the poor thermal quality an important part of French homes, has led to the emergence of fuel poverty in the public debate. Legislative recognition of these situations with the law 'Grenelle II' (from which is extracted the definition above) marked a decisive step in the fight against this complex problem. Affecting nearly 5 million households in France, fuel poverty is a major challenge for societies wishing to successfully achieve their energy transition. In this new publication, ENEA reports on the main levers of the fight against fuel poverty, the obstacles encountered and the needs for new solutions

Engendering Economic Policy in Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

I.P. van Staveren (Irene); A. Oduro (Amo)

2015-01-01

textabstractDespite Africa's relatively commendable growth performance since 2000, growth has not been accompanied by structural transformations. First, there has been little diversification from agriculture into industry, particularly manufacturing. Second, the poverty headcount and inequality

How can poverty be reduced among small-scale farmers in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

times the amount needed to feed the global population. Still, even ... agriculture are more effective in alleviating poverty than investments in other sectors (Xavier et al., ...... Agricultural employment trends in Asia and Africa: Too fast or too slow?

Private Enterprise-Led Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuada, John Ernest

Private Enterprise-Led Development in Sub-Saharan Africa provides a novel theoretical and conceptual model to guide research into Africa's economic development. It endorses the view that private enterprise-led growth will help reduce poverty since it strengthens individuals' capacity to care...

Poverty, child sexual abuse and HIV in the Transkei region, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Banwari, M

2011-08-01

Everyone love children. They want them to be happy and prosperous, but poverty takes away their rights. Poverty even forces them to sell their daughters in exchange for money. The trio of poverty, sexual assaults and HIV are complimentary to one another.This paper is a selection of 5 cases who presented at Sinawe Center as victims of rape, where money has played a role in the delay in reporting to the police. First, a young girl of 13 years was raped by a known person. The cost of settlement was a mere R500 (equivalent to 70 US dollars). The second victim was paid R10 or R20 for each sexual act. Third, fourth and fifth cases, were young girls who were forced to marry by their parents. The history, physical examination and laboratory investigations are given. Psychosocial and economic aspects are also discussed.

Raising Growth and Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa

OpenAIRE

Ernesto Hernanadez-Cata

2001-01-01

Sub-Saharan Africa's long-term growth performance will need to improve significantly for the region to visibly reduce poverty and raise the standard of living to an acceptable level. Appropriate actions will also be needed to ensure that an adequate share of the growing income is devoted to reducing poverty. The key policy question for these countries and their development partners is how ...

Linking poverty and violence: The South African scenario | Muller ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In present-day South Africa we are daily confronted with individual or group scenes of violence in townships and 'shanty-towns' where people live in poverty. Frequently, it involves people clamouring for the redemption of the promises made to them by politicians prior to the first democratic election in 1994 – promises of a ...

The ongoing challenge of restorative justice in South Africa: How ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

South Africa remains one of the most unequal societies in the world and any discussion around poverty and the church's response cannot exclude this reality. This article attempts to analyse the response of wealthy, 'majority white' suburban congregations in the southern suburbs of Cape Town to issues of poverty and ...

Africa's middle class women bring entrepreneurial opportunities in breast care medical tourism to South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahwireng-Obeng, Frederick; van Loggerenberg, Charl

2011-01-01

Africa's distribution of specialized private health services is severely disproportionate. Mismatch between South Africa's excess supply and a huge demand potential in an under-serviced continent represents an entrepreneurial opportunity to attract patients to South Africa for treatment and recuperative holidays. However, effective demand for intra-African medical tourism could be constrained by sub-Saharan poverty. Results from interviewing 320 patients and five staff at the Johannesburg Breast care Centre of Excellence, however, reject this proposition, Africa's middle class women being the target market estimated to grow annually by one million while breast cancer incidence increases with middle-class lifestyles. Uncovering this potential involves an extensive marketing strategy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

American federalism as storehouse experience for a federated Africa

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The main challenge confronting Africa today is poverty and the best approach to the continent's worse position is the economic dependence on western countries, which implies their political dependence as well. But even if, the essence of such a situation mounts to history, one should also agree that Africa's background ...

Africa and the Green Revolution : A Global Historical Perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frankema, Ewout

2014-01-01

Two decades of substantial economic growth in Africa have challenged the deep-seated Afro-pessimism of the 1990s and 2000s and re-invigorated the academic debate on Africa's ability to grow out of poverty in the 21st century. Although the opinions differ widely on how sustainable current African

Waging War on Poverty: Poverty Trends Using a Historical Supplemental Poverty Measure

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Liana E.; Wimer, Christopher; Garfinkel, Irwin; Kaushal, Neeraj; Waldfogel, Jane

2015-01-01

Using data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey and the March Current Population Survey, we provide poverty estimates for 1967 to 2012 based on a historical Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). During this period, poverty, as officially measured, has stagnated. However, the official poverty measure (OPM) does not account for the effect of near-cash transfers on the financial resources available to families, an important omission since such transfers have become an increasingly important part of government anti-poverty policy. Applying the historical SPM, which does count such transfers, we find that trends in poverty have been more favorable than the OPM suggests and that government policies have played an important and growing role in reducing poverty—a role that is not evident when the OPM is used to assess poverty. We also find that government programs have played a particularly important role in alleviating child poverty and deep poverty, especially during economic downturns. PMID:26347369

Bibliometric analysis of medicine-related publications on poverty (2005-2015).

Science.gov (United States)

Sweileh, Waleed M; Al-Jabi, Samah W; Sawalha, Ansam F; AbuTaha, Adham S; Zyoud, Sa'ed H

2016-01-01

Poverty is a global problem. The war against poverty requires not only financial support, but also poverty-related research to pinpoint areas of high need of intervention. In line with international efforts to fight poverty and negative consequences, we carried out this study to give a bibliometric overview of medicine-related literature on poverty. Such a s study is an indicator of the extent of interaction of various international key players on the war against poverty-related health problems. Scopus was used to achieve the objective of this study. The time span set for this study was 2005-2015. Poverty-related articles under the subject area "Medicine" were used to give bibliometric indicators such as annual growth of publications, international collaboration, highly cited articles, active countries, institutions, journals, and authors. The total number of retrieved articles was 1583. The Hirsh-index of retrieved articles was 56. A modest and fluctuating increase was seen over the study period. Visualization map of retrieved articles showed that "HIV", infectious diseases, mental health, India, and Africa were most commonly encountered terms. No significant dominance of any particular author or journal was observed in retrieved articles. The United States of America had the largest share in the number of published articles. The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Prevention and Control were among top active institutions/organizations. International collaboration was observed in less than one third of publications. Top cited articles focused on three poverty-related health issues, mainly, infectious diseases, malnutrition, and child development/psychology. Most of top articles were published in high impact journals. Data indicated that articles on poverty were published in high influential medical journals indicative of the importance of poverty as a global health problem. However, the number publications and the extent of international

The Zero Hunger and Brazil without Extreme Poverty programs: a step forward in Brazilian social protection policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Paes-Sousa, Romulo; Vaitsman, Jeni

2014-11-01

Brazilian social protection programs have had consistent effects in reducing poverty and inequality among their respective target-groups: children, adolescents and pregnant and breastfeeding women. In 2011, the Brazil without Extreme Poverty program was launched as a strategy to eradicate extreme poverty by 2014. It makes the promotion of rights the core concept of the official political narrative. This study seeks to provide a systematic description of the Brazil without Extreme Poverty program and its initial results. A review of official documents and academic studies on the social protection programs was conducted. The Brazil without Extreme Poverty program represents an incremental approach to the social protection policies enacted by the previous administration. It advocates a multidimensional and focused approach, funded primarily by the federal government. The strategy subscribes to the international trend of associating social protection with employment and income generation policies.

Global Food Crisis and the Millennium Development Goals in Africa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

hunger/poverty, food security in the world has been deteriorating, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Amidst the slow pace of meeting the millennium goal of reducing poverty/hunger arises a serious challenging threat - the food crisis in the midst of the MDGs' efforts. It is on this premise that this paper examines the global ...

Accounting for female employment in Africa

OpenAIRE

Anyanwu, John C.

2012-01-01

Women employment has become a critical development challenge globally. This is because the exclusion of women in employment has potential negative effects on both sustainable inclusive development and poverty reduction. In this paper, we examine the characteristics and the key determinants of female employment in Africa. Our empirical estimates, using available cross-sectional data over the period, 1991 and 2009 suggest that in the all-Africa estimation, quadratic levels of real per capita GD...

Poverty and inequality – but of what - as social determinants of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Poverty and inequality – but of what - as social determinants of health in Africa? ... inequality hypothesis of Wilkinson and Pickett1 applies to population health outcomes in ... (child) mortality rates; maternal mortality ratios; and life expectancy at birth. ... World Health Organization the three broad dimensions to consider when ...

Social entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rivera-Santos, M.; Holt, D.; Littlewood, D.; Kolk, A.

Responding to calls for a better understanding of the relationship between social enterprises and their environments, this article focuses on contextual influences on social entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa. We identify four predominantly African contextual dimensions, i.e., acute poverty,

Sub-Saharan Africa | IDRC - International Development Research ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

In addition, sub-Saharan Africa suffers the most impact from the HIV ... Our work in Benin has resulted in agricultural improvements and stronger local leadership. ... has stimulated better agriculture, health care, and anti-poverty programs.

Look both ways: mainstreaming biodiversity and poverty reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bass, Steve; Roe, Dilys; Smith, Jessica

2010-10-15

The world's failure to meet its 2010 target to significantly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss demonstrates that conservation efforts have so far been insufficient. They are too often undermined by seemingly more pressing economic and poverty goals — despite the frequent correlation of high biodiversity with high incidence of poverty. But it shouldn't be a competition. Biodiversity and poverty reduction are intrinsically linked and demand an integrated approach. The Convention on Biological Diversity has long emphasised the need for integrating, or 'mainstreaming', biodiversity into national and local development and poverty reduction strategies, most recently in its new Strategic Plan. Lessons learnt from wider experience of environmental mainstreaming can help parties to the Convention achieve this target in practice — they point to a six-step plan for the task.

Factors Associated with Teen Pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa: A Multi-Country Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Odimegwu, Clifford; Mkwananzi, Sibusiso

2016-09-01

This study aimed to assess the contextual factors associated with teenage pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa. Using DHS data we modelled females aged 15-19 with multilevel logistic regression to establish the independent influence of social disadvantage on teenage pregnancy in West, East and Southern Africa with aid of the MLwiN programme. Results showed teenage pregnancy decreased in East Africa, plateaued in West Africa and increased slightly in Southern Africa between 1992 and 2011. Multilevel multivariate regression revealed teenage pregnancy was associated with family disruption (0.39; 0.40: Ppoverty (1.01; 1.02: PAfrica, while only community poverty (1.01; PAfrica. Our findings emphasise the necessity of creating regional-specific interventions and prevention campaigns to address multilevel factors such as family disruption as well as the need for governments to address issues of unemployment, poverty and inequality.

Africa : The Road to Opportunity

OpenAIRE

Wolfowitz, Paul

2006-01-01

Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank, remarked that the past-quarter century has to count as the most successful 25 years in history in the fight against poverty. The one region that has so far been conspicuously left behind by that progress is Sub-Saharan Africa. The people of Africa are hard at work building a more hopeful future for their continent. There is no shortage of energy, ambition, or entrepreneurial spirit. What are most severely lacking are resources to support good plan...

Can the world cut poverty in half ? how policy reform and effective aid can meet international development goals

OpenAIRE

Collier, Paul; Dollar, David

2000-01-01

More effective development aid could greatly improve poverty reduction in the areas where poverty reduction is expected to lag: Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. Even more potent would be significant policy reform in the countries themselves. The authors develop a model of efficient aid in which the total volume of aid is endogenous. In particular, aid flows respond to ...

Poverty Relief or Poverty Eradication? | Kritzinger | Acta Theologica

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The author challenges the reader to make two mindshifts: from a focus on poverty relief to an emphasis on poverty eradication; and from viewing the poor as the objects of poverty alleviation to accepting them as the subjects of poverty eradication. The case is argued and a practical approach towards poverty eradication is ...

Dynamics of Poverty and Land Degradation in the Sahel (West Africa)

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

This project will attempt to breach this knowledge gap. ... will endeavor to understand the dynamics of poverty and land degradation, identify promising ... Studies. Rôle de la migration dans les stratégies de survie des populations rurales : cas ...

Promoting a low cost energy future in Africa | Kirchner | African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

With a large part of the population not having access to modern energy services in their daily life, energy poverty remains one of the most pressing development challenges on the African continent. Africa's fossil fuel resources as well as its renewable energy potential can serve as the means to achieve this. For Africa's ...

Profiling Poverty in West Africa: A Sub-Regional Survey | Osai ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The thrust of this project is informed by the fact that, most times, the statistical figures presented by Governments and its agencies do not tell the whole story of the state of poverty of citizens; this is more so in regard the sixteen countries that constitute West African. The paper is also premised on the argument that the level of ...

Teaching about Global and U.S. Poverty Using the Internet

Science.gov (United States)

Risinger, C. Frederick

2012-01-01

Just a few months earlier, the United Nations and the World Bank reported that 1.4 billion people live below the new poverty rate of US $1.25 per day. That news was accompanied by stories of severe famine in Africa, Asia, and even scattered through Europe and the Americas. The author knows that it's sometimes difficult to teach about contemporary…

Inequality, poverty and quality of institutions: which freedom channels of globalization matter for Africa?

OpenAIRE

Asongu, Simplice A.

2013-01-01

Are formal institutions instrumental in the effect globalization mechanisms have on the human face? If so, through which freedoms channels are poverty and inequality mitigated? With the instrumentality of formal institutions: (1) de jure financial liberalization (KAOPEN) has a positive income-redistribution impact while the de facto measure (FDI) does not; (2) political liberalization has a disequalizing effect and; (3) economic freedom has a positive (negative) effect on inequality (poverty)...

All projects related to south africa | Page 2 | IDRC - International ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Social cohesion: The missing link in overcoming violence and inequality? ... URBAN POLICY, MARGINALITY, Poverty, VIOLENCE, SOCIAL CONFLICTS, URBAN POPULATION, Gender. Region: Brazil, India, South Africa, United Kingdom.

Child poverty and changes in child poverty.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wen-Hao; Corak, Miles

2008-08-01

This article offers a cross-country overview of child poverty, changes in child poverty, and the impact of public policy in North America and Europe. Levels and changes in child poverty rates in 12 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries during the 1990s are documented using data from the Luxembourg Income Study project, and a decomposition analysis is used to uncover the relative role of demographic factors, labor markets, and income transfers from the state in determining the magnitude and direction of the changes. Child poverty rates fell noticeably in only three countries and rose in three others. In no country were demographic factors a force for higher child poverty rates, but these factors were also limited in their ability to cushion children from adverse shocks originating in the labor market or the government sector. Increases in the labor market engagement of mothers consistently lowered child poverty rates, while decreases in the employment rates and earnings of fathers were a force for higher rates. Finally, there is no single road to lower child poverty rates. Reforms to income transfers intended to increase labor supply may or may not end up lowering the child poverty rate.

Growth and Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa

OpenAIRE

Arndt, Channing; McKay, Andrew; Tarp, Finn

2016-01-01

While the economic growth renaissance in sub-Saharan Africa is widely recognized, much less is known about progress in living conditions. This book comprehensively evaluates trends in living conditions in 16 major sub-Saharan African countries, corresponding to nearly 75% of the total population. A striking diversity of experience emerges. While monetary indicators improved in many countries, others are yet to succeed in channeling the benefits of economic growth into the pockets of the poor....

Poverty and Health: Defeating poverty by going to the roots

OpenAIRE

Anirudh Krishna

2007-01-01

Poverty is dynamic in nature: even as some people move out of poverty, other people simultaneously fall into poverty. The poverty pool is being simultaneously both depleted and refilled. Anirudh Krishna argues that efforts for poverty reduction tend to focus exclusively on raising people out of poverty, and therefore will not be very successful unless poverty creation is also addressed. Ill health and high healthcare expenses are the principal reasons associated with falling into poverty; the...

International Comparisons of Income Poverty and Extreme Income Poverty

OpenAIRE

Blackburn, McKinley L.

1993-01-01

Uses LIS data to study the sensitivity of cross-national income poverty comparisons to the method in which poverty is measured. Examined are the differences between using absolute and relative poverty comparisons as well as the consequence of lowering the real value of the poverty line to examine extreme poverty.

Negotiating the labyrinth of modernity's promise a paradigm analysis of energy poverty in peri-urban Kumasi, Ghana

Science.gov (United States)

Odarno, Lily Ameley

Energy poverty in developing countries has been conventionally attributed to a lack of access to sufficient, sustainable and modern forms of energy (ESMAP 2001; Modi et al. 2006). Per this definition, Sub--Saharan Africa is the most energy poor region in the world today. In line with this, efforts at addressing energy poverty in the region have concentrated on the expansion of access to modern energy sources, particularly electricity. In spite of the implementation of diverse energy development interventions, access to modern energy services remains limited. That energy poverty remains one of the most pressing challenges in Sub--Saharan Africa today in spite of the many decades of energy development necessitates a candid and thorough re--evaluation of the questions that have been traditionally asked about this issue and the solutions that have been offered in response to it. Based on theoretical analyses and empirical studies in peri--urban Kumasi, Ghana, this study attempts to offer some of the much needed re--evaluations. Using Kuhn's paradigm approach as a conceptual tool, this dissertation identifies peri--urban energy poverty as a paradigm--scale conflict in the modern arrangement of energy--development relations. By emphasizing the importance of context and political economy in understanding energy poverty, the study proposes strategies for an alternative paradigm in which energy--development relations are fundamentally redefined; one which enlists appropriate knowledge, technologies, and institutions in addressing the needs of the energy poor in ways which promote environmental values, social equity and sustainable livelihoods.

Christian Higher Education in Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Fowler, Stuart; Mutua, Isaac N.

2012-01-01

Africa is commonly seen as a continent of rampant political corruption, poverty, violence, and ethnic conflicts rising at times to genocide. There is some truth in this view although the real picture is diverse, with the situation varying considerably from country to country. However, the more important question seldom asked is: What are the…

The New Philanthropy, Poverty Reduction and Rural Development: A Case Study of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA in Ghana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sumaila I. Asuru

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This study seeks to explore the significant contributions of the new philanthropy towards improving the conditions of smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan African, smallholder farmers’ understanding of philanthropy and to investigate the relationship that exists between philanthropy and smallholder farmers. The research is designed to uncover the needs and drivers of both philanthropy and smallholder farmers in relation to their interaction and the fulfilment of the philanthropic contract they have entered into. The main objective of the thesis is to consider the potential of philanthropy to rural transformation for poverty reduction. It focus is the involvement of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in rural development and poverty reduction in Ghana. Since 2006 the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates Foundation has dedicated $1.7 billion to assisting smallholder farmers. The bulk of this investment has been delivered through programmes associated with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA, which is also supported by the Rockefeller Foundation(Thompson, 2012. This study observed an inherent discrepancies and organisational miscalculations that have adverse influence on the effective collaboration and implementation of philanthropic support to the selected farmers. Untimely release of farming inputs as well as exceedingly unfavourable conditions for the attractions of loans makes it difficult for smooth farming. This exercise also established that both men and women intercrop their farms to ensure household food security and income. Household decisions on which medium of farming to pursue and on use of the income from farming are generally taken by men. Due to these, this research emphasise that philanthropic offering in Ghana should be looked at dispassionately bearing in mind the socio-culturally diverse nature of the country itself as well as key environmental factors that hugely contribute to poverty.

Female entrepreneurship in rural Uganda : a poverty trap analysis based on in-depth interviews

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Romijn, H.A.; Kyejjusa, S.

2017-01-01

Rural female entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa are less privileged and often have limited resources and edification. Poverty traps analysis on rural female entrepreneurs in food processing in Uganda focused on identifying and explaining the existence of low well-being “basins of attraction”.

The contribution of veterinary medicine to public health and poverty reduction in developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Muma, John B; Mwacalimba, Kennedy K; Munang'andu, Hetron M; Matope, Gift; Jenkins, Akinbowale; Siamudaala, Victor; Mweene, Aaron S; Marcotty, Tanguy

2014-01-01

Few studies have explicitly examined the linkages between human health, animal disease control and poverty alleviation. This paper reviews the contribution that veterinary medicine can make to poverty alleviation in sub-Saharan Africa. Our analysis attempts to explore aspects of this contribution under five themes: food production; food safety; impact and control of zoonotic infections; promotion of ecotourism; and environmental protection. While these areas of human activity have, more or less, fallen under the influence of the veterinary profession to varying degrees, we attempt to unify this mandate using a 'One Health' narrative, for the purpose of providing clarity on the linkages between the veterinary and other professions, livestock production and poverty alleviation. Future opportunities for improving health and reducing poverty in the context of developing African countries are also discussed. We conclude that veterinary science is uniquely positioned to play a key role in both poverty reduction and the promotion of health, a role that can be enhanced through the reorientation of the profession's goals and the creation of synergies with allied and related professions.

The contribution of veterinary medicine to public health and poverty reduction in developing countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John B. Muma

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Few studies have explicitly examined the linkages between human health, animal disease control and poverty alleviation. This paper reviews the contribution that veterinary medicine can make to poverty alleviation in sub-Saharan Africa. Our analysis attempts to explore aspects of this contribution under five themes: food production; food safety; impact and control of zoonotic infections; promotion of ecotourism; and environmental protection. While these areas of human activity have, more or less, fallen under the influence of the veterinary profession to varying degrees, we attempt to unify this mandate using a 'One Health' narrative, for the purpose of providing clarity on the linkages between the veterinary and other professions, livestock production and poverty alleviation. Future opportunities for improving health and reducing poverty in the context of developing African countries are also discussed. We conclude that veterinary science is uniquely positioned to play a key role in both poverty reduction and the promotion of health, a role that can be enhanced through the reorientation of the profession's goals and the creation of synergies with allied and related professions.

Impact of human schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa

OpenAIRE

Adenowo, Abiola Fatimah; Oyinloye, Babatunji Emmanuel; Ogunyinka, Bolajoko Idiat; Kappo, Abidemi Paul

2015-01-01

Schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease of poverty ranks second among the most widespread parasitic disease in various nations in sub-Saharan Africa. Neglected tropical diseases are causes of about 534,000 deaths annually in sub-Saharan Africa and an estimated 57 million disability-adjusted life-years are lost annually due to the neglected tropical diseases. The neglected tropical diseases exert great health, social and financial burden on economies of households and governments. ...

Microcredit -- an emerging tool for fighting poverty.

Science.gov (United States)

1997-01-01

A summit focusing on microcredit (small business, microenterprise, loans) as a means of fighting poverty was held February 3-4 in Washington; it was co-chaired by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and by Queen Sofia of Spain. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long supported microenterprise and microfinance. The summit set a goal of reaching 100 million poor families over the next nine years. USAID Administrator Brian Atwood spoke concerning the need to involve the private sector in microfinance; previously loans had been financed outside of the mainstream financial system via nongovernmental organizations and credit unions funded mainly by governments and donors. USAID launched a Microenterprise Initiative in 1994 that has supported 150 programs in 45 countries, and that is expected to reach approximately 4 million families. Atwood said the microenterprise strategies were currently in use in nearly every country USAID supports in Latin America and Asia, and most countries in Africa; future efforts would concentrate on countries in Africa, in eastern Europe and in central Asia. Mrs. Clinton called microenterprise "an invaluable tool in alleviating poverty, promoting self-sufficiency, and stimulating the economy." Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin stated that the policy helped people help themselves by giving them the tools they needed to join the economic mainstream. Microcredit focuses on businesses with five or fewer workers; loans range from less than $100 to $10,000. More than half of the businesses are owned and operated by women.

Nuclear Power: Africa and the Future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibrahim, Y.M.; Hussein, A.S.

2008-01-01

Africa is a home to around 800 million people. The total population is expected to reach 1.3 billion by 2020. Efficient, clean energy forms are vital to Africa's sustainable development and fight against poverty. Nuclear power is a sustainable, clean, safe and economic way to met the African countries demand for electrical energy and water desalination As of 29 January 2007, there were 435 nuclear power plants in operation around the world. They total about 369 G We of generating capacity and supply about 16% of the world electricity. Of the 435 nuclear power plants in operation, just two are in Africa: Koeberg-1 and Koeberg-2 in South Africa. Both are 900 M We PWRs.There are also 28 new nuclear power plants under construction none in Africa. In this paper, varies factors , which support the attractiveness of nuclear power for African countries are identified and discussed

All projects related to South Africa | Page 6 | IDRC - International ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

The research network on global administrative law (GAL network) was ... Although birth and death rates are still relatively high in Africa, African populations display ... SOCIAL PLANNING, SOCIAL SERVICES, POVERTY MITIGATION, SOCIAL ...

THE ROLES OF INSTITUTIONS IN FIGHTING AGAINST POVERTY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Surjono Surjono

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Decentralization and reformation in Indonesia have entered an uncertainty stage of people’s welfare in the near future. Uncertainty of political stability and fluctuative oil prices also led to uncertainty of other dimensions of development. This paper aims to elaborate the roles of institution in reducing poverty and identify indicators to evaluate the performance of pro-poor development, particularly in Indonesian context. The method was literature reviews and specific case study. Sustainable development indicators were employed to evaluate an appropriate strategies by comparing with best practices in several local governments in Indonesia. This paper promotes steps in reducing poverty and provides indicators of pro-poor governance. The result of analysis shows that development planning at local government should have balanced strategies with focus on indicators to accelerate poverty reduction in the regions.

Integrated human rights and poverty eradication strategy: the case of civil registration rights in Zimbabwe.

Science.gov (United States)

Musarandega, Reuben

2009-01-01

High poverty levels characterise sub-Saharan Africa, Zimbabwe included. Over 80 per cent of Zimbabwe's population lived below the total consumption poverty line and 70 per cent below the food poverty line in 2003. This plummeting of social indicators resulted from the freefall suffered by the country's economy from the 1990s, after unsuccessful attempts to implement structural adjustment programmes prescribed by international financial institutions. The ensuing socioeconomic decay, political crisis and international isolation of the country from the late 1990s reversed gains made in social indicators during the 1980s. Development theories attribute poverty to unchecked population growth, political, economic and environmental mismanagement, while developing countries' leaders attribute it to historical imbalances and global political and economic injustices. Despite this debate, poverty continues to evolve, expand and deepen and the need to eradicate it has become urgent. The complex question of what causes and what drives poverty is perpetually addressed and new ideas are emerging to answer the question. One recent view is that failure to centre development on people and to declare poverty a violation of human rights has allowed poverty to grow the world over. This study uses a hypothesised cause of poverty - civil registration - to exemplify the human right nature of poverty, and how a human rights' policy can be used as an instrument to eradicate poverty. The study demonstrates that civil registration is a right of instrumental relevance to poverty; and achieving civil registration grants people access to numerous other rights, some of which will lift them out of poverty, while the failure of civil registration deprives people of access to livelihoods, thereby entrenching them in poverty.

A Profile of Mpumalanga: Demographics, Poverty, Inequality and Unemployment

OpenAIRE

Pauw, Kalie

2005-01-01

This paper forms part of a series of papers that present profiles of South Africa's provinces, with a specific focus on key demographic statistics, poverty and inequality estimates, and estimates of unemployment. In this volume comparative statistics are presented for agricultural and non-agricultural households, as well as households from different racial groups, locations (metropolitan, urban and rural areas) and district municipalities of Mpumalanga. Most of the data presented are drawn fr...

A Profile of Gauteng: Demographics, Poverty, Inequality and Unemployment

OpenAIRE

Pauw, Kalie

2005-01-01

This paper forms part of a series of papers that present profiles of South Africa's provinces, with a specific focus on key demographic statistics, poverty and inequality estimates, and estimates of unemployment. In this volume comparative statistics are presented for agricultural and non-agricultural households, as well as households from different racial groups, locations (metropolitan, urban and rural areas) and district municipalities of Gauteng. Most of the data presented are drawn from ...

Skills for Inclusive Growth in South Africa: Promising Tides amidst Perilous Waters

Science.gov (United States)

Akoojee, Salim

2012-01-01

Skills development is critical to South Africa's development. It has been argued that South Africa's twin post-Apartheid challenges, poverty and unemployment requires a level of skills development not undertaken before (RSA, 2008a; ANC, 2007). The creation of a separate ministry, the department of higher education and training (DHET), which has…

Young child poverty in the United States: Analyzing trends in poverty and the role of anti-poverty programs using the Supplemental Poverty Measure

Science.gov (United States)

Pac, Jessica; Nam, JaeHyun; Waldfogel, Jane; Wimer, Christopher

2017-01-01

Between 1968 and 2013, the poverty rate of young children age 0 to 5 years fell by nearly one third, in large part because of the role played by anti-poverty programs. However, young children in the U.S. still face a much higher rate of poverty than do older children in the U.S. They also continue to have a much higher poverty rate than do young children in other developed countries around the world. In this paper, we provide a detailed analysis of trends in poverty and the role of anti-poverty programs in addressing poverty among young children, using an improved measure of poverty, the Supplemental Poverty Measure. We examine changes over time and the current status, both for young children overall and for key subgroups (by child age, and by child race/ethnicity). Our findings can be summarized in three key points. First, poverty among all young children age 0–5 years has fallen since the beginning of our time series; but absent the safety net, today’s poverty rate among young children would be identical to or higher than it was in 1968. Second, the safety net plays an increasing role in reducing the poverty of young children, especially among Black non-Hispanic children, whose poverty rate would otherwise be 20.8 percentage points higher in 2013. Third, the composition of support has changed from virtually all cash transfers in 1968, to about one third each of cash, credit and in-kind transfers today. PMID:28659652

Young child poverty in the United States: Analyzing trends in poverty and the role of anti-poverty programs using the Supplemental Poverty Measure.

Science.gov (United States)

Pac, Jessica; Nam, JaeHyun; Waldfogel, Jane; Wimer, Christopher

2017-03-01

Between 1968 and 2013, the poverty rate of young children age 0 to 5 years fell by nearly one third, in large part because of the role played by anti-poverty programs. However, young children in the U.S. still face a much higher rate of poverty than do older children in the U.S. They also continue to have a much higher poverty rate than do young children in other developed countries around the world. In this paper, we provide a detailed analysis of trends in poverty and the role of anti-poverty programs in addressing poverty among young children, using an improved measure of poverty, the Supplemental Poverty Measure. We examine changes over time and the current status, both for young children overall and for key subgroups (by child age, and by child race/ethnicity). Our findings can be summarized in three key points. First, poverty among all young children age 0-5 years has fallen since the beginning of our time series; but absent the safety net, today's poverty rate among young children would be identical to or higher than it was in 1968. Second, the safety net plays an increasing role in reducing the poverty of young children, especially among Black non-Hispanic children, whose poverty rate would otherwise be 20.8 percentage points higher in 2013. Third, the composition of support has changed from virtually all cash transfers in 1968, to about one third each of cash, credit and in-kind transfers today.

Can biotechnology help meet the nutrition challenge in sub-Saharan Africa?

Science.gov (United States)

Tagwireyi, Julia

2002-12-01

The successful efforts in the 1980s to redress nutrition problems in sub-Saharan Africa are being eroded. Countries in eastern and southern Africa are now facing serious food shortages because of recurrent droughts, floods, civil wars, and the concomitant growing poverty. The potential for biotechnology to alleviate hunger holds promise if the new technology can be adapted to the prevailing sociocultural context in Africa. Agronomists and biotechnologists need to work together to ensure that the biotechnology agenda for Africa is responsive to the food and nutrition needs of its people.

The Socioeconomic Determinants of Household Poverty Status in a Low-Income Settlement in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Maloma

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Poverty means different things to different people. There are many differentapproaches to defining poverty but the basic needs approach is commonly applied,particularly in developingcountries where a bigger majority of the people struggleto attain a predetermined minimum level of income to satisfy their basic needs. Inthis study a survey questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 300households in Bophelong township in Gauteng province during the second half of2013. The aim of this article is to evaluate the impact that certain household andindividual characteristics (size of the household, gender of the head of thehousehold, etc. can have in determining the poverty status of a household. Abinary logistic regression was used to analyse the data. The results show that theeducation level of the head of the household, his/her employment status and agewere inversely related to poverty status. Improvements in the education level andincreases in the age of the head of the household were found to decrease theprobability of a household being categorised as poor. Households in which thehead of the household is employed have a lower probability of being categorisedas poor.

Measuring Recent Changes in South African Inequality and Poverty using 1996 and 2001 Census Data

OpenAIRE

Murray Leibbrandt; Laura Poswell; Pranushka Naidoo; Matthew Welch; Ingrid Woolard

2005-01-01

The paper analyses poverty and inequality changes in South Africa for the period 1996 to 2001 using Census data. To gain a broader picture of well-being in South Africa, both income-based and access-based measurement approaches are employed. At the national level, findings from the income-based approach show that inequality has unambiguously increased from 1996 to 2001. As regards population group inequality, within-group inequality has increased; while between-group inequality has decreased ...

Key determinants of AIDS impact in Southern sub-Saharan Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Shandera, Wayne Xavier

2007-11-01

To investigate why Southern sub-Saharan Africa is more severely impacted by HIV and AIDS than other parts of sub-Saharan Africa, I conducted a review of the literature that assessed viral, host and transmission (societal) factors. This narrative review evaluates: 1) viral factors, in particular the aggregation of subtype-C HIV infections in Southern sub-Saharan Africa; 2) host factors, including unique behaviour patterns, concomitant high prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, circumcision patterns, average age at first marriage and immunogenetic determinants; and, 3) transmission and societal factors, including levels of poverty, degrees of literacy, migrations of people, extent of political corruption, and the usage of contaminated injecting needles in community settings. HIV prevalence data and published indices on wealth, fertility, and governmental corruption were correlated using statistical software. The high prevalence of HIV in Southern sub-Saharan Africa is not explained by the unusual prevalence of subtype-C HIV infection. Many host factors contribute to HIV prevalence, including frequency of genital ulcerating sexually transmitted infections, absence of circumcision (compiled odds ratios suggest a protective effect of between 40% and 60% from circumcision), and immunogenetic loci, but no factor alone explains the high prevalence of HIV in the region. Among transmission and societal factors, the wealthiest, most literate and most educated, but also the most income-disparate, nations of sub-Saharan Africa show the highest HIV prevalence. HIV prevalence is also highest within societies experiencing significant migration and conflict as well as in those with government systems experiencing a high degree of corruption. The interactions between poverty and HIV transmission are complex. Epidemiologic studies currently do not suggest a strong role for the community usage of contaminated injecting needles. Areas meriting additional study include clade type

Redesigning Health Care Practices to Address Childhood Poverty.

Science.gov (United States)

Fierman, Arthur H; Beck, Andrew F; Chung, Esther K; Tschudy, Megan M; Coker, Tumaini R; Mistry, Kamila B; Siegel, Benjamin; Chamberlain, Lisa J; Conroy, Kathleen; Federico, Steven G; Flanagan, Patricia J; Garg, Arvin; Gitterman, Benjamin A; Grace, Aimee M; Gross, Rachel S; Hole, Michael K; Klass, Perri; Kraft, Colleen; Kuo, Alice; Lewis, Gena; Lobach, Katherine S; Long, Dayna; Ma, Christine T; Messito, Mary; Navsaria, Dipesh; Northrip, Kimberley R; Osman, Cynthia; Sadof, Matthew D; Schickedanz, Adam B; Cox, Joanne

2016-04-01

Child poverty in the United States is widespread and has serious negative effects on the health and well-being of children throughout their life course. Child health providers are considering ways to redesign their practices in order to mitigate the negative effects of poverty on children and support the efforts of families to lift themselves out of poverty. To do so, practices need to adopt effective methods to identify poverty-related social determinants of health and provide effective interventions to address them. Identification of needs can be accomplished with a variety of established screening tools. Interventions may include resource directories, best maintained in collaboration with local/regional public health, community, and/or professional organizations; programs embedded in the practice (eg, Reach Out and Read, Healthy Steps for Young Children, Medical-Legal Partnership, Health Leads); and collaboration with home visiting programs. Changes to health care financing are needed to support the delivery of these enhanced services, and active advocacy by child health providers continues to be important in effecting change. We highlight the ongoing work of the Health Care Delivery Subcommittee of the Academic Pediatric Association Task Force on Child Poverty in defining the ways in which child health care practice can be adapted to improve the approach to addressing child poverty. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. All rights reserved.

Africa tomorrow: The challenge of the future; Overview of a gas Africa; Energy for all; The impact of world energetic transformations on the Algerian economy; Towards a gas Eldorado? To cook and to live; 1,2,3... biogas, the AFG in Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Icart, Laura

2016-01-01

A set of articles first proposes a brief overview of the energetic challenge faced by Africa for its development, and then an overview and discussion of gas production and consumption in North Africa, in Sub-Saharan Africa, in West Africa, in Central Africa, and in South Africa. As access to energy has been defined as a priority for the 2014-2024 decade and is part of the Millennium objectives for development, a third article comments this issue: unequal and vital access, struggle against energy poverty, how Total, Engie and EDF are concerned and involved. The opportunity of gas-cogeneration is evoked. An article discusses the impact of world energetic transformations on the Algerian economy (influence of price decrease on Sonatrach incomes and on trade balance, Algerian strategy in front of energy transition, improvement of energy efficiency, development of renewable energies, possibility of exploitation of shale gas, possibility of a global reform). The next article comments the expected strong increase of the share of natural gas in the African energy mix, and the fact that the Sub-Saharan natural gas production is predicted to be higher than the Russian one in 2040. An article then comments the issue of energy poverty, health risks related to the use of solid fuels in housing for cooking, and the possible alternative provided by LPG. The last articles outline the high potential represented by biogas, notably in rural and isolated areas, and the commitment of AFG's subsidiaries in Africa

Trends in Child Poverty Using an Improved Measure of Poverty.

Science.gov (United States)

Wimer, Christopher; Nam, JaeHyun; Waldfogel, Jane; Fox, Liana

2016-04-01

The official measure of poverty has been used to assess trends in children's poverty rates for many decades. But because of flaws in official poverty statistics, these basic trends have the potential to be misleading. We use an augmented Current Population Survey data set that calculates an improved measure of poverty to reexamine child poverty rates between 1967 and 2012. This measure, the Anchored Supplemental Poverty Measure, is based partially on the US Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics' new Supplemental Poverty Measure. We focus on 3 age groups of children, those aged 0 to 5, 6 to 11, and 12 to 17 years. Young children have the highest poverty rates, both historically and today. However, among all age groups, long-term poverty trends have been more favorable than official statistics would suggest. This is entirely due to the effect of counting resources from government policies and programs, which have reduced poverty rates substantially for children of all ages. However, despite this progress, considerable disparities in the risk of poverty continue to exist by education level and family structure. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nutritional Status and Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa

OpenAIRE

David E. Sahn; H. Alderman

1998-01-01

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has had an aggregate malnutrition rate of nearly 30 percent for the last decade. While malnutrition prevalence has decreased significantly in most other developing countries in the last decade, it has been nearly static for SSA. This static trend in the percentage of malnourished children, however, does not fully reflect the rapidly rising numbers of malnourished c...

Soil degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hartemink, A.E.; Keulen, van H.

2005-01-01

Soil degradation in Sub-Sahara Africa has been much debated in the past decades. Although there are many different views, at the extremes there are those who are of the opinion that the problem is very serious and the main cause for the poverty and food crises and those that are convinced that it is

Poverty and suicide research in low- and middle-income countries: systematic mapping of literature published in English and a proposed research agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Bantjes, J; Iemmi, V; Coast, E; Channer, K; Leone, T; McDaid, D; Palfreyman, A; Stephens, B; Lund, C

2016-01-01

Approximately 75% of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where rates of poverty are high. Evidence suggests a relationship between economic variables and suicidal behaviour. To plan effective suicide prevention interventions in LMICs we need to understand the relationship between poverty and suicidal behaviour and how contextual factors may mediate this relationship. We conducted a systematic mapping of the English literature on poverty and suicidal behaviour in LMICs, to provide an overview of what is known about this topic, highlight gaps in literature, and consider the implications of current knowledge for research and policy. Eleven databases were searched using a combination of key words for suicidal ideation and behaviours, poverty and LMICs to identify articles published in English between January 2004 and April 2014. Narrative analysis was performed for the 84 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Most English studies in this area come from South Asia and Middle, East and North Africa, with a relative dearth of studies from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Most of the available evidence comes from upper middle-income countries; only 6% of studies come from low-income countries. Most studies focused on poverty measures such as unemployment and economic status, while neglecting dimensions such as debt, relative and absolute poverty, and support from welfare systems. Most studies are conducted within a risk-factor paradigm and employ descriptive statistics thus providing little insight into the nature of the relationship. More robust evidence is needed in this area, with theory-driven studies focussing on a wider range of poverty dimensions, and employing more sophisticated statistical methods.

Impacts of Policies on Poverty. Relative Poverty Lines

OpenAIRE

Bellù, Lorenzo Giovanni; Liberati, Paolo

2005-01-01

This module illustrates how to define “relative” poverty lines, i.e. poverty lines based on approaches that consider the welfare position of each individual or household in relation to the welfare position of other individuals or households belonging to the same community. In particular, the module, after emphasizing the importance of the relative poverty concept in policy work, discusses two methods to define relative poverty lines: a) the “income levels” method; and b) the “income positions...

South African Zulu widows in a time of poverty and social change.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenblatt, Paul C; Nkosi, Busisiwe Catherine

2007-01-01

Interviews were carried out with 16 South African Zulu widows. Much of what the widows had to say seemed like what one might hear from widows in economically developed countries, but there were also striking differences. All the widows lived in poverty, and for some their grief seemed much more about the poverty than about the husband's death. Most widows observed a year of traditional ukuzila mourning practices, which made them a threat to others and which is difficult to carry out in the social upheaval of modern South Africa. Widowhood was in some cases a struggle with witchcraft--as cause of the death or as an accusation directed at the widow.

Barriers to primary care responsiveness to poverty as a risk factor for health.

Science.gov (United States)

Bloch, Gary; Rozmovits, Linda; Giambrone, Broden

2011-06-29

Poverty is widely recognized as a major determinant of poor health, and this link has been extensively studied and verified. Despite the strong evidentiary link, little work has been done to determine what primary care health providers can do to address their patients' income as a risk to their health. This qualitative study explores the barriers to primary care responsiveness to poverty as a health issue in a well-resourced jurisdiction with near-universal health care insurance coverage. One to one interviews were conducted with twelve experts on poverty and health in primary care in Ontario, Canada. Participants included family physicians, specialist physicians, nurse practitioners, community workers, advocates, policy experts and researchers. The interviews were analysed for anticipated and emergent themes. This study reveals provider- and patient-centred structural, attitudinal, and knowledge-based barriers to addressing poverty as a risk to health. While many of its findings reinforce previous work in this area, this study's findings point to a number of areas front line primary care providers could target to address their patients' poverty. These include a lack of provider understanding of the lived reality of poverty, leading to a failure to collect adequate data about patients' social circumstances, and to the development of inappropriate care plans. Participants also pointed to prejudicial attitudes among providers, a failure of primary care disciplines to incorporate approaches to poverty as a standard of care, and a lack of knowledge of concrete steps providers can take to address patients' poverty. While this study reinforces, in a well-resourced jurisdiction such as Ontario, the previously reported existence of significant barriers to addressing income as a health issue within primary care, the findings point to the possibility of front line primary care providers taking direct steps to address the health risks posed by poverty. The consistent

Young child poverty in the United States: Analyzing trends in poverty and the role of anti-poverty programs using the Supplemental Poverty Measure

OpenAIRE

Pac, Jessica; Nam, JaeHyun; Waldfogel, Jane; Wimer, Christopher

2017-01-01

Between 1968 and 2013, the poverty rate of young children age 0 to 5 years fell by nearly one third, in large part because of the role played by anti-poverty programs. However, young children in the U.S. still face a much higher rate of poverty than do older children in the U.S. They also continue to have a much higher poverty rate than do young children in other developed countries around the world. In this paper, we provide a detailed analysis of trends in poverty and the role of anti-pover...

Social Protection and Vulnerable Communities in East Africa ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Social protection mechanisms can reduce poverty and vulnerability, increase work and educational achievement, and promote economic growth. Formal social protection initiatives cover only a small proportion of the population in East Africa - those working in the formal sector. Vulnerable groups - such as the poor and ...

HIV/AIDS, poverty and risky sexual behaviour in South Africa | le R ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper employs data from the 1998 South African Demographic and Health Survey in exploring the nature of socio-economic inequalities in and determinants of risky sexual behaviour. Risky sexual behaviour was associated with poverty only in the case of multiple partnerships. Affluent women that have engaged in ...

Climate change impacts on rural poverty in low-elevation coastal zones

Science.gov (United States)

Barbier, Edward B.

2015-11-01

This paper identifies the low-elevation coastal zone (LECZ) populations and developing regions most vulnerable to sea-level rise and other coastal hazards, such as storm surges, coastal erosion and salt-water intrusion. The focus is on the rural poor in the LECZ, as their economic livelihoods are especially endangered both directly by coastal hazards and indirectly through the impacts of climate change on key coastal and near-shore ecosystems. Using geo-spatially referenced malnutrition and infant mortality data for 2000 as a proxy for poverty, this study finds that just 15 developing countries contain over 90% of the world's LECZ rural poor. Low-income countries as a group have the highest incidence of poverty, which declines somewhat for lower middle-income countries, and then is much lower for upper middle-income economies. South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa account for most of the world's LECZ rural poor, and have a high incidence of poverty among their rural LECZ populations. Although fostering growth, especially in coastal areas, may reduce rural poverty in the LECZ, additional policy actions will be required to protect vulnerable communities from disasters, to conserve and restore key coastal and near-shore ecosystems, and to promote key infrastructure investments and coastal community response capability.

Targeting poverty : lessons from monitoring Ireland's National Anti-Poverty Strategy

OpenAIRE

Layte, Richard; Nolan, Brian; Whelan, Christopher T.

2000-01-01

In 1997 the Irish government adopted the National Anti-Poverty Strategy (NAPS), a global target for the reduction of poverty which illuminates a range of issues relating to official poverty targets. The Irish target is framed in terms of a relative poverty measure incorporating both relative income and direct measures of deprivation based on data on the extent of poverty from 1994. Since 1994 Ireland has experienced an unprecedented period of economic growth that makes it particularly importa...

The relationship between poverty and fertility in some less developed countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Chin Ptc

1985-12-01

The author investigates the extent to which both absolute and relative poverty affect population growth in developing countries. Aggregate data from U.N. sources for 26 countries at various stages of the fertility transition are used. The results indicate that the most significant steps in reducing fertility would be more effective provision of basic human needs and reforms in land tenure. The need to distinguish between absolute and relative poverty in formulating population policies is noted.

Socio-Economic Determinants of Poverty Amongst Female-Headed Households in a South African Township

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tshediso Joseph Sekhampu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The study reported here used household level data toanalysedeterminants ofhousehold poverty amongst female-headed households in a South AfricanTownship of Bophelong. Poverty is defined and then measured for the sampledpopulation. A Logistic regression was estimated based on this data with theeconomic status (that is poor and non-poor as the dependent variable and a set ofdemographic variables as explanatory variables. The results show that householdsize, the age and employment status of theheadof householdsignificantly explainvariations in the likelihood of being poor.Household size was positivelyassociated with the probability of being poor, whereas the age and employmentstatus of the head of the household reduces the probability ofbeing in the poorcategory.It is of interest to note that the educational attainment of the householdhead is not important in reducing the chances of being a poor household.Information provided through this study is at household level and extends onexisting findings on poverty in South Africa bymodellingand determining thevarious socio-economic and demographic household level indicators responsiblefor female poverty.

Open Sores of a Republic: Injustice and Poverty as Motifs in Alex La Guma’s First Three Novels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

OGBEIDE, O. Victor

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This paper examines injustice and poverty as motifs in Alex La Guma’s first three novels. A motif is a recurrent formal element in a work of art. The foundation of apartheid is injustice which often leads to massive poverty on the part of the non-white community whose members are hapless victims of marginalization and disfranchisement in the Republic of South Africa. The prevalence of the twin forces of injustice and poverty in apartheid South Africa which La Guma artistically portrays in his first three novels confers on them the status of a motif. This, in itself, is a function of the novelist’s deference to realism and artistic relevance. The paper discovers that the unrelenting travesty of justice and the prevalence of destitution which describe so many unsavoury scenes in the novels in focus are due to the non-whites’ lack of meaningful political consciousness which itself is a function of the racist government’s stamp on oppositional discourse. It is this vacuum that the puny and ineffective pockets of individual acts of courage attempt to fill in the three novels to no avail.

The Interface Between Violence, Disability, and Poverty: Stories From a Developing Country.

Science.gov (United States)

Neille, Joanne; Penn, Claire

2015-07-30

People with disabilities are vulnerable to multiple forms of violence in their everyday lives, including structural violence, deprivation, and physical, emotional, and sexual exploitation. Despite increasing reports of violence against people with disabilities, little is known about this phenomenon, especially in the context of poverty. Furthermore, the various types of violence have traditionally been studied in isolation, which has led to a limited understanding of the nature and persistence of violence in society, and has affected our understanding of the relationship between different forms of violence. In this article, we explore the relationship between violence, disability, and poverty among people living in a rural area of South Africa. Thirty adults with a variety of disabilities living in 12 rural villages in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa participated in the study. Each of the participants was provided with an opportunity to tell their life story. Narrative inquiry and participant observation were used to explore the ways in which violence pervades the participants' everyday experiences. Results were analyzed using thematic analysis and suggest that in the context of poverty, it is impossible to separate the experience of disability from the experience of violence. Structural violence was shown to underpin all other forms of interpersonal violence, making persons with disabilities vulnerable to additional forms of exploitation, and serve to further isolate people with disabilities from society, compromising both health and human rights. The findings suggest that an understanding of contextual factors is fundamental to understanding the relationship between violence and disability. © The Author(s) 2015.

Social networks, social participation, and health among youth living in extreme poverty in rural Malawi.

Science.gov (United States)

Rock, Amelia; Barrington, Clare; Abdoulayi, Sara; Tsoka, Maxton; Mvula, Peter; Handa, Sudhanshu

2016-12-01

Extensive research documents that social network characteristics affect health, but knowledge of peer networks of youth in Malawi and sub-Saharan Africa is limited. We examine the networks and social participation of youth living in extreme poverty in rural Malawi, using in-depth interviews with 32 youth and caregivers. We describe youth's peer networks and assess how gender and the context of extreme poverty influence their networks and participation, and how their networks influence health. In-school youth had larger, more interactive, and more supportive networks than out-of-school youth, and girls described less social participation and more isolation than boys. Youth exchanged social support and influence within their networks that helped cope with poverty-induced stress and sadness, and encouraged protective sexual health practices. However, poverty hampered their involvement in school, religious schools, and community organizations, directly by denying them required material means, and indirectly by reducing time and emotional resources and creating shame and stigma. Poverty alleviation policy holds promise for improving youth's social wellbeing and mental and physical health by increasing their opportunities to form networks, receive social support, and experience positive influence. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Researching the Urban Dilemma: Urbanization, Poverty and Violence

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2012-05-24

May 24, 2012 ... As a first step, IDRC commissioned a baseline study to help inform the design and ... The summary is available in English, French, and Spanish. ... Community Work Programme reduces poverty and violence ... Copyright · Open access policy · Privacy policy · Research ethics · Transparency · Website usage.

Impacts of Policies on Poverty: The Definition of Poverty

OpenAIRE

Bellù, Lorenzo Giovanni; Liberati, Paolo

2005-01-01

This module illustrates how poverty can be defined in the context of policy impact analysis. After reporting and discussing the definition of poverty as “the lack of, or the inability to achieve, a socially acceptable standard of living”, it discusses the mono-dimensional and multi-dimensional approaches to the definition of poverty. Furthermore, the module focuses on the absolute and the relative concept of poverty, also drawing some analogies and differences with the concept of food secu...

An Empirical Study on the Nexus of Poverty, GDP Growth, Dependency Ratio and Employment in Developing Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sinnathurai Vijayakumar

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The paper has scrutinized the nexus among poverty, economic growth, employment and dependency ratio in developing countries. The primary intension behind this study is to find out the association between variables such as poverty, economic growth, agricultural and industrial employment and dependency ratio due to the gap in the existing literature. This study fully relies on cross country data and involves forty one countries which have been selected from Asia,Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. For this study, OLS method, correlation and econometric tools have been employed. Two models employed in the analysis are goodness of fit because both p-value and F-statistics in the models are less than 5%. The results bring to light the fact that age dependency ratio has had a tremendous impact on poverty and poverty has had a relatively very high impact on the age dependency ratio. Even though Industrial employment has anegative association with poverty incidence, it does not have a significant impact on poverty. The finding that economic growth, poverty and industrial employment significantly affect the agedependency ratio in model two is practicable and consistent with economic theories. Thus stable economic growth with an increase in labour productivity and labour intensive technology is anactive remedy for solving this problem.

Africa's energy sector: energy availability and the underlying financial challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebesa, Motselisi; Ndyeshobola, Ahmed.

1994-01-01

The objective of this paper is to provide a brief overview of energy availability in Africa and the attendant financing concerns in the African energy sector. The paper departs from three key premises: firstly that energy resources in Africa are abundant, but current trends in its consumption and inherent externalities are unsustainable. This abundance is also affected by social and political stability. Secondly, that the majority of Africa's population lacks access to adequate energy services. Poverty issues and effects undermine the urgency of energy and environmental concerns. Thirdly, that Africa's sustainable development calls for more energy supply not less. Future energy requirements and related supply and financing issues are discussed with the time horizon of the year 2020. (author)

A Profile of KwaZulu-Natal: Demographics, Poverty, Inequality and Unemployment

OpenAIRE

Pauw, Kalie

2005-01-01

This paper forms part of a series of papers that present profiles of South Africa's provinces, with a specific focus on key demographic statistics, poverty and inequality estimates, and estimates of unemployment. In this volume comparative statistics are presented for agricultural and non-agricultural households, as well as households from different racial groups, locations (metropolitan, urban and rural areas) and district municipalities of KwaZulu-Natal. Most of the data presented are drawn...

A Profile of the Limpopo Province: Demographics, Poverty, Inequality, and Unemployment

OpenAIRE

Pauw, Kalie

2005-01-01

This paper forms part of a series of papers that present profiles of South Africa's provinces, with a specific focus on key demographic statistics, poverty and inequality estimates, and estimates of unemployment. In this volume comparative statistics are presented for agricultural and non-agricultural households, as well as households from different racial groups, locations (metropolitan, urban and rural areas) and district municipalities of Limpopo. Most of the data presented are drawn from ...

Perceptions of entrepreneurship as a career option in South Africa: An exploratory study among grade 12 learners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L Burger

2004-04-01

Full Text Available Job creation and poverty alleviation are two pressing challenges facing South Africa today. South Africa’s capacity to address the high unemployment and poverty levels are partly hampered by a poorly developed entrepreneurial culture. An entrepreneurial culture that enhances the supply of effective entrepreneurs at all age and population groups could contribute to economic growth and address both unemployment and poverty. This article investigates the perceptions of entrepreneurship as career option by Grade 12 learners in a specific region in South Africa, as the youth could be viewed as the logical group from which new entrepreneurs should emerge in future. The majority of the surveyed learners seem to have a positive disposition towards small business entrepreneurship as an eventual career, although considerable differences exist in terms of self-image, locality and ethnic backgrounds.

Moving up the ladder or stuck on the bottom rung? Homeownership as a solution to poverty in urban South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemanski, Charlotte

2011-01-01

In the global South, policies providing property titles to low-income households are increasingly implemented as a solution to poverty. Integrating poor households into the capitalist economy using state-subsidized homeownership is intended to provide poor people with an asset that can be used in a productive manner. In this article the South African "housing subsidy system" is assessed using quantitative and qualitative data from in-depth research in a state-subsidized housing settlement in the city of Cape Town. The findings show that while state-subsidized property ownership provides long-term shelter and tenure security to low-income households, houses have mixed value as a financial asset. Although state-subsidized houses in South Africa are a financially tradable asset, transaction values are too low for low-income vendors to reach the next rung on the housing ladder, the township market. Furthermore, low-income homeowners are reticent to use their (typically primary) asset as collateral security for credit, and thus property ownership is not providing the financial returns that titling theories assume.

Poverty and fever vulnerability in Nigeria: a multilevel analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yusuf Oyindamola B

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Malaria remains a major public health problem in Sub Saharan Africa, where widespread poverty also contribute to the burden of the disease. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between the prevalence of childhood fever and socioeconomic factors including poverty in Nigeria, and to examine these effects at the regional levels. Methods Determinants of fever in the last two weeks among children under five years were examined from the 25004 children records extracted from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2008 data set. A two-level random effects logistic model was fitted. Results About 16% of children reported having fever in the two weeks preceding the survey. The prevalence of fever was highest among children from the poorest households (17%, compared to 15.8% among the middle households and lowest among the wealthiest (13% (p6months, whereas the effect of wealth no longer reached statistical significance. Conclusion While, overall bednet possession was low, less fever was reported in households that possessed bednets. Malaria control strategies and interventions should be designed that will target the poor and make an impact on poverty. The mechanism through which wealth may affect malaria occurrence needs further investigation.

Urban Poverty in Asia

OpenAIRE

Asian Development Bank (ADB); Asian Development Bank (ADB); Asian Development Bank (ADB); Asian Development Bank (ADB)

2014-01-01

This report provides an overview of important urban poverty questions. What defines urban poverty and how is urban poverty being measured? What other factors beyond consumption poverty need to be tackled? Who are the urban poor? What relations exist between urban poverty and city size? What linkages exist between urbanization, income, and urban poverty? What policy responses to urban poverty are implemented in selected Asian countries? The report served as a background study for the Internati...

Poverty in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Anders Bøggild

Recently poverty has become an issue in Danish public debates and research after some quiet years with not much attention. The intention with this paper is to make a descriptive covering view of the Danish research on poverty since the year of 2000 until summer 2009. We see quite some...... differentiation in the methods, measurement and results though most accept the concept of relative poverty (see for instance Peter Townsend 2006). We see qualitative and quantitative studies; studies based on the median income, studies based on poverty lines from minimum budget definitions and surveys including...... questions on deprivation etc.. This paper will present all major studies of empirical poverty research and discuss strengths and inadequacies in the research of poverty and finally raise some perspectives from the current political and professional debates which question poverty research....

Optimal multi-dimensional poverty lines: The state of poverty in Iraq

Science.gov (United States)

Ameen, Jamal R. M.

2017-09-01

Poverty estimation based on calories intake is unrealistic. The established concept of multidimensional poverty has methodological weaknesses in the treatment of different dimensions and there is disagreement in methods of combining them into a single poverty line. This paper introduces a methodology to estimate optimal multidimensional poverty lines and uses the Iraqi household socio-economic survey data of 2012 to demonstrate the idea. The optimal poverty line for Iraq is found to be 170.5 Thousand Iraqi Dinars (TID).

Individualization of poverty?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bak, Carsten Kronborg

2015-01-01

The German Sociologist Ulrich Beck is best known for his book “Risk Society” which has been discussed extensively; however Beck’s claims about modern poverty have not received the same attention among poverty researchers. The individualization perspective views poverty as a relatively transient...... phenomenon and the democratization perspective views the risk of poverty as spread equally in the population. Both perspectives challenge the mainstream tradition of class analysis, and therefore both view poverty as largely independent of traditional stratification factors. In this article, I argue...

Why is control of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa poor?

Science.gov (United States)

Seedat, Y K

2015-01-01

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in 2010, hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure ≥ 115 mmHg) was the leading cause of death, increasing 67% since 1990. It was also the sixth leading cause of disability, contributing more than 11 million adjusted life years. In SSA, stroke was the main outcome of uncontrolled hypertension. Poverty is the major underlying factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. This article analyses the causes of poor compliance in the treatment of hypertension in SSA and provides suggestions on the treatment of hypertension in a poverty-stricken continent.

Astronomy in post-apartheid South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Whitelock, Patricia Ann

2011-06-01

Astronomy was one of the sciences earmarked for major support by South Africa's first democratically elected government in 1994. This was a very remarkable decision for a country with serious challenges in poverty, health and unemployment, but shows something of the long term vision of the new government. In this paper I give one astronomer's perception of the reasons behind the decision and some of its consequences.

Subjective Poverty and Its Relation to Objective Poverty Concepts in Hungary

Science.gov (United States)

Nandori, Eszter Siposne

2011-01-01

The paper analyzes subjective poverty in Hungary and compares it to the objective poverty concepts. Subjective poverty is defined by examining who people consider to be poor. Based on the Easterlin paradox, the initial hypothesis states that subjective and absolute poverty concepts are highly correlated. Taking into account that Hungary is a…

Poverty among Foster Children: Estimates Using the Supplemental Poverty Measure

Science.gov (United States)

Pac, Jessica; Waldfogel, Jane; Wimer, Christopher

2017-01-01

We use data from the Current Population Survey and the new Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) to provide estimates for poverty among foster children over the period 1992 to 2013. These are the first large-scale national estimates for foster children who are not included in official poverty statistics. Holding child and family demographics constant, foster children have a lower risk of poverty than other children. Analyzing income in detail suggests that foster care payments likely play an important role in reducing the risk of poverty in this group. In contrast, we find that children living with grandparents have a higher risk of poverty than other children, even after taking demographics into account. Our estimates suggest that this excess risk is likely linked to their lower likelihood of receiving foster care or other income supports. PMID:28659651

549 Conflicts in Africa: Meaning, Causes, Impact and Solution

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

2010-10-17

Oct 17, 2010 ... Poverty can demean a man and affect his psychology negatively. Hence ... taken its toll on Africa's development in a number of ways especially in death of her ... Comprehending and Mastering African Conflicts: The Search of. Sustainable ... The Management of Protracted Social Conflict: Theory and Cases,.

Addressing Africa's health needs - time for strong South African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

hamper the health and development status of many African continents for several decades to come. For example, the. HIV/AIDS pandemic has intensified and continues to create a social situation which is complex to manage. The burden of poverty-related diseases is disproportionately concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa ...

Factors associated with teen pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa: a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Our findings emphasise the necessity of creating regional-specific interventions and prevention campaigns to address multilevel factors such as family disruption as well as the need for governments to address issues of unemployment, poverty and inequality. Keywords: Teenage pregnancy, sub-Saharan Africa, multilevel ...

[An end to poverty

Science.gov (United States)

Engelhard, P

1994-10-01

The African continent is distinguished by a much higher fertility rate than other regions. Fertility in Africa has remained almost constant at slightly over six children per woman on average, while important declines have occurred elsewhere over the past 25 years. High fertility in Africa is often attributed to poor diffusion of family planning, early marriage, and low female educational attainment, but other cultural and economic factors are involved. The significant decline of infant mortality over the past several decades has produced growth rates never before observed. Africa's very young populations may be at the origin of uncontrollable political disorder, as young persons with bleak prospects fall easy prey to ethnic, religious, and political extremism. Demographic growth has become an additional barrier to development. High fertility is tolerated or encouraged as constituting a cultural trait, but the resulting population growth is not a cultural trait. Demographic pressure has increased environmental problems in many regions. It is estimated that over ten million rural residents of the Sahel have been affected by soil degradation. The per capita availability of arable land fell from one-half to one-third hectare between 1965 and 1987. Shortages of firewood and water have become more common. The relationship between demographic growth, environmental crisis, and poverty in the countryside depends on other factors such as production techniques, modes of access to land and water, and the degree of security of land tenure. Population pressure was not the initial factor that disturbed the balance of the traditional societies, but it exacerbated the effects of other forces such as the introduction of cash crops and monetarization of the economy. Rural exodus and accelerated urban migration have been prompted in large part by the higher incomes and greater availability of services of all types in the cities. Achieving control of fertility in Africa will require

Population, poverty and economic development.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinding, Steven W

2009-10-27

Economists, demographers and other social scientists have long debated the relationship between demographic change and economic outcomes. In recent years, general agreement has emerged to the effect that improving economic conditions for individuals generally lead to lower birth rates. But, there is much less agreement about the proposition that lower birth rates contribute to economic development and help individuals and families to escape from poverty. The paper examines recent evidence on this aspect of the debate, concludes that the burden of evidence now increasingly supports a positive conclusion, examines recent trends in demographic change and economic development and argues that the countries representing the last development frontier, those of Sub-Saharan Africa, would be well advised to incorporate policies and programmes to reduce high fertility in their economic development strategies.

Indigence and access to health care in sub-Saharan Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Stierle, F; Kaddar, M; Tchicaya, A; Schmidt-Ehry, B

1999-01-01

Access to health care services for the poor and indigent is hampered by current policies of health care financing in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper reviews the issue as it is discussed in the international literature. No real strategies seem to exist for covering the health care of the indigent. Frequently, definitions of poverty and indigence are imprecise, the assessment of indigence is difficult for conceptual and technical reasons, and, therefore, the actual extent of indigence in Africa is not well known. Explicit policies rarely exist, and systematic evaluation of experiences is scarce. Results in terms of adequately identifying the indigent, and of mechanisms to improve indigents' access to health care, are rather deceiving. Policies to reduce poverty, and improve indigents' access to health care, seem to pursue strategies of depoliticizing the issue of social injustice and inequities. The problem is treated in a 'technical' manner, identifying and implementing 'operational' measures of social assistance. This approach, however, cannot resolve the problem of social exclusion, and, consequently, the problem of excluding large parts of African populations from modern health care. Therefore, this approach has to be integrated into a more 'political' approach which is interested in the process of impoverishment, and which addresses the macro-economic and social causes of poverty and inequity.

Neonatal hypothermia in sub-Saharan Africa: A review | Onalo ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Result and Conclusion: Neonatal hypothermia is a major condition of public health importance in countries of sub- Saharan Africa. Awareness of the burden of the disease is still low in some communities. Risk factors for neonatal hypothermia in the region include poverty, home delivery, low birthweight, early bathing of ...

Poverty and reproductive health: global overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Ketting, E

1997-01-01

This article opens by tabulating selected family planning (FP) indicators from the 24 poorest countries (those with a gross national product (GNP) of up to $300 per capita). Consideration of what is poverty and who are the poor concludes that poverty is hard to define but that is it a combination of low income, low life expectancy, illiteracy, and low educational levels; that is, the result of a denial of choices and opportunities. The poorest countries by this criteria differ somewhat from the poorest chosen according to GNP, but most are located in sub-Saharan Africa. The use of national data is complicated by the fact that huge differences exist between rich and poor within countries. The poorest countries have the lowest use of FP, the most restrictive abortion laws, high incidences of mortality associated with unsafe abortion, and high maternal mortality rates. International population and FP assistance is embarrassingly low and unfairly allocated. International assistance must be increased to break the cycle of poverty and improve reproductive health. The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) believes that improvement of reproductive health for the impoverished is a basic condition for human development and reduction of global inequity. In its policy statement on this topic, the IPPF recommends that local FP associations 1) constantly reevaluate how to maximize their impact on the most vulnerable, 2) be pioneers in the field of sexual and reproductive health, 3) reassess priorities in light of diminishing donor funding, 4) become advocates for increased resources and to further the work they are undertaking, and 5) strengthen collaboration with other development agencies working in the field.

Context Matters – Rethinking the Resource Curse in Sub-Saharan Africa

OpenAIRE

Matthias Basedau

2005-01-01

Natural resources in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from a bad reputation. Oil and diamonds, particularly, have been blamed for a number of Africa’s illnesses such as poverty, corruption, dictatorship and war. This paper outlines the different areas and transmission channels of how this so-called “resource curse” is said to materialize. By assessing empirical evidence on sub-Saharan Africa it concludes that the resource curse theory fails to sufficiently explain why and how several countries have ...

A Profile of the Eastern Cape Province: Demographics, Poverty, Inequality and Unemployment

OpenAIRE

Pauw, Kalie

2005-01-01

This paper forms part of a series of papers that present profiles of South Africa's provinces, with a specific focus on key demographic statistics, poverty and inequality estimates, and estimates of unemployment. In this volume comparative statistics are presented for agricultural and non-agricultural households, as well as households from different racial groups, locations (metropolitan, urban and rural areas) and district municipalities of the Eastern Cape. Most of the data presented are dr...

A Profile of the North West Province: Demographics, Poverty, Inequality and Unemployment

OpenAIRE

Pauw, Kalie

2005-01-01

This paper forms part of a series of papers that present profiles of South Africa's provinces, with a specific focus on key demographic statistics, poverty and inequality estimates, and estimates of unemployment. In this volume comparative statistics are presented for agricultural and non-agricultural households, as well as households from different racial groups, locations (metropolitan, urban and rural areas) and district municipalities of the North West. Most of the data presented are draw...

A Profile of the Northern Cape Province: Demographics, Poverty, Inequality and Unemployment

OpenAIRE

Pauw, Kalie

2005-01-01

This paper forms part of a series of papers that present profiles of South Africa's provinces, with a specific focus on key demographic statistics, poverty and inequality estimates, and estimates of unemployment. In this volume comparative statistics are presented for agricultural and non-agricultural households, as well as households from different racial groups, locations (metropolitan, urban and rural areas) and district municipalities of the Northern Cape. Most of the data presented are d...

A Profile of the Free State Province: Demographics, Poverty, Inequality and Unemployment

OpenAIRE

Pauw, Kalie

2005-01-01

This paper forms part of a series of papers that present profiles of South Africa's provinces, with a specific focus on key demographic statistics, poverty and inequality estimates, and estimates of unemployment. In this volume comparative statistics are presented for agricultural and non-agricultural households, as well as households from different racial groups, locations (metropolitan, urban and rural areas) and district municipalities of the Free State. Most of the data presented are draw...

A Profile of the Western Cape Province: Demographics, Poverty, Inequality and Unemployment

OpenAIRE

Pauw, Kalie

2005-01-01

This paper forms part of a series of papers that present profiles of South Africa's provinces, with a specific focus on key demographic statistics, poverty and inequality estimates, and estimates of unemployment. In this volume comparative statistics are presented for agricultural and non-agricultural households, as well as households from different racial groups, locations (metropolitan, urban and rural areas) and district municipalities of the Western Cape. Most of the data presented are dr...

Child Poverty and Family Poverty in OECD Countries

OpenAIRE

Forssén, Katja

1998-01-01

Childhood in an underdeveloped environment is a stage of life very likely to be overshadowed by poverty. The main aim of this study is to look at the development of child poverty in the comparative angle. The study seeks to detect connections between child poverty and the implemented family policies. Discussion include an overview of family policies in different welfare state models, specification of the goals of the study, report of the results of the empirical analysis, and discussion of th...

Multidimensional Poverty and Health Status as a Predictor of Chronic Income Poverty.

Science.gov (United States)

Callander, Emily J; Schofield, Deborah J

2015-12-01

Longitudinal analysis of Wave 5 to 10 of the nationally representative Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia dataset was undertaken to assess whether multidimensional poverty status can predict chronic income poverty. Of those who were multidimensionally poor (low income plus poor health or poor health and insufficient education attainment) in 2007, and those who were in income poverty only (no other forms of disadvantage) in 2007, a greater proportion of those in multidimensional poverty continued to be in income poverty for the subsequent 5 years through to 2012. People who were multidimensionally poor in 2007 had 2.17 times the odds of being in income poverty each year through to 2012 than those who were in income poverty only in 2005 (95% CI: 1.23-3.83). Multidimensional poverty measures are a useful tool for policymakers to identify target populations for policies aiming to improve equity and reduce chronic disadvantage. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Infrastructure and Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

OpenAIRE

Calderón, César; Servén, Luis

2008-01-01

An adequate supply of infrastructure services has long been viewed by both academics and policy makers as a key ingredient for economic development. Sub-Saharan Africa ranks consistently at the bottom of all developing regions in terms of infrastructure performance, and an increasing number of observers point to deficient infrastructure as a major obstacle for growth and poverty reduction ...

South African Universities and Human Development: Towards a Theorisation and Operationalisation of Professional Capabilities for Poverty Reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Melanie; McLean, Monica; Dison, Arona; Peppin-Vaughan, Rosie

2009-01-01

This paper reports on a research project investigating the role of universities in South Africa in contributing to poverty reduction through the quality of their professional education programmes. The focus here is on theorising and the early operationalisation of multi-layered, multi-dimensional transformation based on ideas from Amartya Sen's…

Free solar lanterns to below poverty line girls in India: a step toward achieving millennium development goals.

Science.gov (United States)

Garg, Rajesh

2014-01-01

Development sectors like health cannot function in isolation. Intersectoral coordination between various departments helps in bringing a positive change in the health-seeking behavior of society in the long run. The decision by the Government of India to provide free solar lanterns (lamps) to the school-going girls of below poverty line families is a welcome step in this context. This initiative would help in reducing the number of school dropout girls and thus help in improving the health indicators that are directly related to women's education. Thus it is an initiative that will help in attainment of Millennium Development Goals through women's education and empowerment. Along with that, the environment-friendly approach will definitely have an impact on health of the girls by switching from kerosene/wood stoves to solar lantern light. Also this initiative would pave the path of real "intersectoral coordination" in the health sector in India that is marred with watertight functioning of various departments. There is an urgent need to popularize the scheme and involve different stakeholders like corporate houses, media, nongovernment organizations, multinational welfare agencies, and local governing bodies for ensuring the availability and utilization of solar lanterns in India.

Mozambique's Debt and the International Monetary Fund's Influence on Poverty, Education, and Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Beste, Jason; Pfeiffer, James

2016-01-01

For nearly 30 years, Mozambique has been facing austerity measures regulated by the IMF. These austerity measures, grounded in macroeconomic policies, were supposed to lift Mozambique out of poverty, and improve its healthcare and education systems. By taking an in-depth look at the major etiologies of Mozambique's debt and the conditions which forced the country to accept austerity measures-despite their protests-prior to receiving IMF funding, this paper examines how IMF policies over the past 30 years have affected poverty, health, and the education system. The results of these policies have contributed to Mozambique's enduring classification as one of the poorest countries in the world. Aside from economic outcomes, Mozambique also has abysmal health and education systems, with one of the lowest life expectancies in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is time to re-evaluate how the current IMF macroeconomic policies negatively affect, health, education and the socioeconomic status of those who live in abject poverty. As short term macroeconomic policies of PARPA have been ineffective at reducing poverty, promoting education and improving health, the IMF should consider using longer term macroeconomic policies which invest in-rather than limit-public services such as health and education. © The Author(s) 2016.

An innovation systems approach to institutional change: Smallholder development in West Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hounkonnou, D.; Kossou, D.; Kuyper, T.W.; Leeuwis, C.; Nederlof, S.; Roling, N.; Sakyi-Dawson, O.; Traoré, M.; Huis, van A.

2012-01-01

Sustainable intensification of smallholder farming is a serious option for satisfying 2050 global cereal requirements and alleviating persistent poverty. That option seems far off for Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) where technology-driven productivity growth has largely failed. The article revisits this

Individual employment, household employment, and risk of poverty in the European Union: a decomposition analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Corluy, V.; Vandenbroucke, F.; Cantillon, B.; Vandenbroucke, F.

2014-01-01

This chapter investigates the relationship between poverty trends and employment, proceeding in two steps. The first step explores the link between individual employment and household employment. A ‘polarization index’ is defined in terms of the difference between, on the one hand, the actual share

On 'Consistent' Poverty

OpenAIRE

Rod Hick

2012-01-01

The measurement of poverty as ‘consistent’ poverty offers a solution to one of the primary problems of poverty measurement within Social Policy of the last three decades. Often treated as if they were synonymous, ‘indirect’ measures of poverty, such as low income measures, and ‘direct’ measures, such as indices of material deprivation, identify surprisingly different people as being poor. In response to this mismatch, a team of Irish researchers put forward a measure which identified responde...

Poverty Monitor 1999

OpenAIRE

1999-01-01

Original title: Armoedemonitor 1999. The Poverty Monitor 1999 (Armoedemonitor 1999) presents as complete and up-to-date a picture as possible of poverty in the Netherlands, and thus provides a factual basis for the debate on poverty. The Netherlands Institute for Social Research/SCP and Statistics Netherlands (CBS) have together collected and analysed a large amount of data on poverty. The findings are set out in this publication. The report also evaluates some aspects of the policy on povert...

Development of oral health in Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Thorpe, Samuel J

2003-01-01

Around 80% of African communities can be considered to be materially deprived. The presence of widespread poverty and underdevelopment in Africa means that communities are increasingly exposed to all of the major environmental determinants of oral disease. Previous approaches to oral health in Africa have failed to recognize the epidemiological priorities of the region or identify reliable and appropriate strategies to address them. Efforts have consisted of providing unplanned, ad hoc and spasmodic curative oral health services, which in most cases are poorly distributed and only reach affluent or urban communities. Realizing the limited impact of existing strategies, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) developed a regional oral health strategy to assist African countries and their partners in identifying priorities and planning preventive-oriented programmes, particularly at the district level. The long-term objective is to provide equitable and universal access to cost-effective quality oral healthcare and thereby significantly reduce the incidence of oral diseases in Africa. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

The effects of restrictive South African migrant labor policy on the survival of rural households in southern Africa : a case study from rural Swaziland

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leliveld, A.H.M.

1997-01-01

Confronted with high unemployment figures and widespread poverty among the black population, one of the priorities of the first postapartheid government of South Africa has been to combat poverty among its population by enlarging employment opportunities. It is generally accepted that this policy

Institutions and poverty.

Science.gov (United States)

Tebaldi, Edinaldo; Mohan, Ramesh

2010-01-01

This study utilises eight alternative measures of institutions and the instrumental variable method to examine the impacts of institutions on poverty. The estimates show that an economy with a robust system to control corruption, an effective government, and a stable political system will create the conditions to promote economic growth, minimise income distribution conflicts, and reduce poverty. Corruption, ineffective governments, and political instability will not only hurt income levels through market inefficiencies, but also escalate poverty incidence via increased income inequality. The results also imply that the quality of the regulatory system, rule of law, voice and accountability, and expropriation risk are inversely related to poverty but their effect on poverty is via average income rather than income distribution.

Poverty Monitor 1998

NARCIS (Netherlands)

1998-01-01

Original title: Armoedemonitor 1998. The Poverty Monitor 1998 (Armoedemonitor 1998) presents a complete and up-to-date picture of poverty in the Netherlands. It is intended to provide a factual basis for the current debate on poverty. The Netherlands Institute for Social Research/SCP and

Poverty Monitor 1999

NARCIS (Netherlands)

1999-01-01

Original title: Armoedemonitor 1999. The Poverty Monitor 1999 (Armoedemonitor 1999) presents as complete and up-to-date a picture as possible of poverty in the Netherlands, and thus provides a factual basis for the debate on poverty. The Netherlands Institute for Social Research/SCP

The relationship between population growth and poverty in Africa: a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The mainstream view from these debates and discussions is that rapid population growth in Africa has put pressure on the environment, leading to environmental degradation which translates into shortfall in food production and atrophied development. This view is as a result of ritualistic adherence to narrow ideological ...

Transient poverty, poverty dynamics, and vulnerability to poverty: An empirical analysis using a balanced panel from rural China.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Patrick S

2016-02-01

China's economic reforms starting in the late 1970s have resulted in rapid economic growth, with annual growth in gross domestic product averaging greater than 10 percent per year for more than thirty years. Accompanying this rapid growth in national accounts have been rapid and widespread reductions in poverty. With these reductions in poverty, however, there has often been observed an increase in income inequality, both between as well as within rural and urban sectors. This rising income gap challenges the notion that economic reforms in China have been as successful as the poverty statistics would suggest. In this paper, we suggest that an alternative view would be to consider the effects of these reforms on changing the chronic nature of poverty and reducing household vulnerability to poverty. Using a balanced panel from rural China from 1991 through 2006, we find that most poverty among our sample has shifted from being chronic in nature to being transient, with households either shifting into a state of being non-poor moving in and out of poverty. Among our sample, vulnerability to poverty has been declining over time, but the declines are not uniform over time or space. We decompose household vulnerability status into two proximate causes: low expected income and high income variability, finding vulnerability increasingly due to income variability. Additionally, we demonstrate that vulnerable households have very different characteristics than non-vulnerable households.

Transient poverty, poverty dynamics, and vulnerability to poverty: An empirical analysis using a balanced panel from rural China

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Patrick S.

2015-01-01

China’s economic reforms starting in the late 1970s have resulted in rapid economic growth, with annual growth in gross domestic product averaging greater than 10 percent per year for more than thirty years. Accompanying this rapid growth in national accounts have been rapid and widespread reductions in poverty. With these reductions in poverty, however, there has often been observed an increase in income inequality, both between as well as within rural and urban sectors. This rising income gap challenges the notion that economic reforms in China have been as successful as the poverty statistics would suggest. In this paper, we suggest that an alternative view would be to consider the effects of these reforms on changing the chronic nature of poverty and reducing household vulnerability to poverty. Using a balanced panel from rural China from 1991 through 2006, we find that most poverty among our sample has shifted from being chronic in nature to being transient, with households either shifting into a state of being non-poor moving in and out of poverty. Among our sample, vulnerability to poverty has been declining over time, but the declines are not uniform over time or space. We decompose household vulnerability status into two proximate causes: low expected income and high income variability, finding vulnerability increasingly due to income variability. Additionally, we demonstrate that vulnerable households have very different characteristics than non-vulnerable households. PMID:26855470

Film and the Representation of the Poverty. Touristic Mobilities in Developing countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donatella Privitera

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In recent times, film tourism has become one of the fastest-growing niche tourism segments in the world. Many films and audiovisual works analyse various representations of social life including the poverty and degradation of the poorest urban areas of the developing world. Films are seen as being responsible for the increased interest in the favela in Brazil, the townships of South Africa, and the slums in India. The development of the favela into a tourist destination is seen as part of the so-called reality tour phenomenon and of the global circulation of the favela as a trademark. This paper evaluates poverty representations that induced tourism in developing countries. Our selection is drawn primarily from popular films that have been influential in the global north such as City of God (2002 and Slumdog Millionaire (2008.

Poverty Mapping Project: Poverty and Food Security Case Studies

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Poverty and Food Security Case Studies dataset consists of small area estimates of poverty, inequality, food security and related measures for subnational...

The role of tourism in poverty alleviation in rural areas of the Republic of Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dedeić Danilo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Poverty in Serbia has increased dramatically in the last decade of the twentieth century. The social middle class has disappeared, the number of poor has doubled, and the data collected by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia shows that a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line. Although the number of those who live below the absolute poverty line is increasing in cities, this increase is even more significant in rural areas. The aim of this paper is to show the possibilities of implementation of pro-poor tourism strategy in the Republic of Serbia. The paper consists of an introductory part, concluding remarks and three chapters. In the first chapter, the concepts of poverty, pro-poor, rural and sustainable tourism are covered. The second chapter gives insight into the international pro-poor experiences (Trinidad and Tobago, Bangladesh, Nepal, South Africa, Ecuador, Kenya, Tanzania and Brazil. The third chapter is dedicated to the situation in Serbia. It has been shown that new forms of tourism, which bring benefits to both tourism enterprises and local communities, can initiate the development of Serbia's rural areas.

Impact of infrastructure expenses in strategic sectors for Brazilian poverty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emerson Marinho

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the impact of infrastructure investments in the reduction of poverty in Brazil, controlled through other determinants such as economic growth, income inequality, average schooling years, unemployment rate and state budgets from 1995 to 2011. A model for a dynamic panel data, estimated by the generalized method of moments (GMM in two steps as developed by Arellano-Bond (1991 and Blundell-Bond (1998 found among other conclusions, a significant inverse relation between public investment in infrastructure and poverty. The Granger causality test for panel data proposed by Hurlin and Venet (2001, 2004 and Hurlin (2004, 2005 reinforced results validation.

Cambodia: Country Poverty Analysis 2014

OpenAIRE

Asian Development Bank (ADB); Asian Development Bank (ADB); Asian Development Bank (ADB); Asian Development Bank (ADB)

2014-01-01

Cambodia’s new national poverty lines show higher historical poverty rates and a dramatic decline in poverty during the 2007–2009 global financial crisis. With 18.9% of the population being poor in 2012, Cambodia now counts among the countries with the most rapid poverty reduction in the world. However, many people moved only slightly above the poverty line—remaining highly vulnerable—and poverty is increasing both in urban areas and according to the international poverty line of $2 per day. ...

Adolescents and Poverty

Science.gov (United States)

Wight, Vanessa R.

2011-01-01

More youth live in poverty and poor youth comprise a larger share of the youth population than was the case a decade ago. This article first provides a descriptive analysis of children in poverty; examining the incidence of poverty among children by selected demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic characteristics with a particular focus on…

Poverty dynamics in Germany: Evidence on the relationship between persistent poverty and health behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Aue, Katja; Roosen, Jutta; Jensen, Helen H

2016-03-01

Previous studies have found poverty to be related to lower levels of health due to poor health behavior such as unhealthy eating, smoking or less physical activity. Longer periods of poverty seem to be especially harmful for individual health behavior. Studies have shown that poverty has a dynamic character. Moreover, poverty is increasingly regarded as being a multidimensional construct and one that considers more aspects than income alone. Against this background this paper analyzes the relationship between health behavior and persistent spells of income poverty as well as a combined poverty indicator using data of the German Socio-Economic Panel (2000-2010). Next to cross-sectional logistic regression models we estimate fixed-effects models to analyze the effect of persistent poverty on dietary behavior, tobacco consumption, and physical activity. Cross-sectional results suggest that persistent poverty is related to poor health behavior, particularly regarding tobacco consumption and physical activity. Results also show that multidimensional and dynamic aspects of poverty matter. Complementary panel analyses reveal negative effects for the combined poverty indicator only for dietary behavior in the total sample. However, by analyzing the sample by gender we identify further effects of persistent poverty on health behavior. The analyses show that not only do individuals in poverty but also those in precarious situations show health-damaging behavior more often. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

One size doesn't fit all. Learning from India's fight against poverty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reddy, S.; Heuty, A.

2005-01-01

In The End of Poverty, Jeffrey Sachs rightly insists on the shared responsibilities of rich and poor countries alike to bring about global poverty reduction. Prof. Sachs, who is an advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, prescribes a set of interventions specific investments in health, education and infrastructure through which to substantially reduce poverty in developing countries. He calls on developing countries to implement these interventions and calls on developed countries to triple aid from its current level of around $65 billion a year. Aid flows are now relatively unimportant to India but are still greatly important to many developing countries which have limited internal resources, especially smaller countries and those in Sub-Saharan Africa. Prof. Sachs emphasises the role that aid can play in improving conditions in these countries. How can the world best reduce poverty? A practical approach to reducing poverty must guarantee to countries the resources they need and it must allow for experimentation and learning. A system called 'peer and partner review' offers a practical solution. Countries would at a regular interval (perhaps three years) voluntarily submit their plans to reduce poverty to scrutiny by their peers other countries in similar circumstances - and their partners those from whom they receive or to whom they give development assistance. Each review committee would consist of representatives of Governments, independent experts and civil society organisations, and would be empowered to collect and analyse information and hold hearings. The review committee would assess a nation's plan in light of what has worked in the past and based on an examination of the country's present opportunities and constraints. The analysis and recommendations of a peer and partner review committee would be broadly distributed within and outside the country, thereby encouraging public education and debate. A poor country's 'needs and gaps' the

Ghana taking steps to reduce poverty in response to report on fuel ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2016-06-07

Jun 7, 2016 ... Can social protection through cash transfers help Ghana address the widening ... A new report launched by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) ... Exploring new ways to extend equity, access to health care in Africa.

Energy poverty: A special focus on energy poverty in India and renewable energy technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhide, Anjali; Monroy, Carlos Rodriguez [Department of Business Administration, School of Industrial Engineering, Technical University of Madrid, Jose Gutierrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid (Spain)

2011-02-15

As a large percentage of the world's poor come from India, development in India is a key issue. After the establishment of how access to energy enhances development and the achievement of the millennium development goals, energy poverty has become a major issue. In India there is a great interest in addressing the subject of energy poverty, in order to reach development goals set by the Government. This will imply an increase in India's energy needs. In a climate of change and environmental consciousness, sustainable alternatives must be considered to address these issues. Renewable energy technologies could provide a solution to this problem. The Government of India has been focussing in implementing electricity policies as well as on promoting renewable energy technologies. The focus of this article is to bring to light the problems faced in India in terms of energy consumption as well as the hindrances faced by renewable-based electrification networks. Government policies aimed at addressing these issues, as well as the current state of renewable energy technologies in India are discussed, so as to analyse the possibility of a solution to the problems of finding a sustainable method to eradicate energy poverty in India. The research reveals that the Government of India has been unable to meet some of its unrealistic development goals, and in order to achieve the remaining goals it will have to take drastic steps. The Government will have to be more aggressive in the promotion of renewable energy technologies in order to achieve sustainable development in India. (author)

Poverty, social stress & mental health.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuruvilla, A; Jacob, K S

2007-10-01

While there is increasing evidence of an association between poor mental health and the experience of poverty and deprivation, the relationship is complex. We discuss the epidemiological data on mental illness among the different socio-economic groups, look at the cause -effect debate on poverty and mental illness and the nature of mental distress and disorders related to poverty. Issues related to individual versus area-based poverty, relative poverty and the impact of poverty on woman's and child mental health are presented. This review also addresses factors associated with poverty and the difficulties in the measurement of mental health and illness and levels/impact of poverty.

Everything is connected: An Interpretive study of local economic development in South Africa.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kwaramba, H.M.

2012-01-01

Tourism in South Africa has emerged as a popular poverty reduction strategy. Nevertheless, benefit of the sector to previously disadvantaged communities remains highly contested. In efforts to increase equitable economic impacts of tourism, the Eastern Cape local government introduced a Local

Poverty in Education

Science.gov (United States)

Greever, Sadie

2014-01-01

The purpose of this literature review is to provide a comprehensive summary of the topic of poverty and its effects upon student behavior and academic performance. Presented in this chapter of the review of the related literature will be: (a) description of poverty and the role of education, (b) effects of poverty on student behavior, (c) effects…

A continent in chaos: Africa's environmental issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Clay, R

1994-12-01

Half of Africa's almost 450 million inhabitants have no access to health services, while two-thirds lack safe drinking water, according to a 1991 report by the World Bank. Most Africans are also seriously affected by poverty, civil war, indoor and outdoor pollutants, diarrhea-causing microbes, tropical diseases such as malaria, rapid population growth, inadequate sanitation and sewage treatment, poor environmental management, corrupt government policies, desertification and deforestation, mining, and the overuse of pesticides and insecticides. Environmentally-related diseases compromise the continent's productivity, making it more difficult to generate revenue to fight the environmental health problems. Industrial pollutants remain rare, however, since almost 80% of sub-Saharan Africa remains pastoral or agro-pastoral. Even so, urbanization is exposing growing numbers of sub-Saharan Africans to hazardous and toxic wastes. Developing countries ship their most dangerous wastes to Africa because their own domestic environmental laws and the high costs of disposal make it difficult and expensive to dispose of them at home. The author discusses population growth in Africa; the lack of good data on the environment and health in Africa; infant and child mortality; water, sewage, and garbage; agriculture, mining, and industry; and sustainable development and the future.

The Condition of Young Children in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Convergence of Health, Nutrition, and Early Education. World Bank Technical Paper No. 326, Africa Technical Department Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Colletta, Nat J.; And Others

In Sub-Saharan Africa, severe adverse conditions have placed children at high risk: persistent and worsening poverty, rapid economic change and population growth, increasing urbanization, a changing family structure, growing numbers of orphaned refugees, and displaced women and children from internal civil strife. These conditions make a viable…

Does Inequality Matter for Poverty Reduction? Evidence from Pakistan’s Poverty Trends

OpenAIRE

Haroon Jamal

2006-01-01

The paper explores the linkages between poverty, growth and inequality in the context of Pakistan. Time series macro data are used for the period 1979 to 2002. Consistent poverty and inequality measures are interpolated to facilitate the estimation of poverty elasticity with respect to growth and inequality in a multivariate regression framework. The paper also attempts to find out macroeconomic and structural correlates of inequality. The empirical findings—high poverty elasticity with respe...

Fertility in Sub-Saharan African Countries with Consideration to Health and Poverty

OpenAIRE

Jeon, Yongil; Rhyu, Sang-Young; Shields, Michael P.

2008-01-01

Fertility has begun to fall in Sub-Saharan Africa but it remains high on average and particularly for a few countries. This paper examines African fertility using a panel data set of 47 Sub-Saharan countries between 1962 and 2003. Fixed and random country effect estimates are made in models where the explanatory variables are suggested by the theory of the demographic transition as modified by Caldwell. Special attention is paid to the economic status of women, urbanization, the poverty level...

Poverty Mapping Project: Small Area Estimates of Poverty and Inequality

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Small Area Estimates of Poverty and Inequality dataset consists of consumption-based poverty, inequality and related measures for subnational administrative...

Taking the woman's perspective: Gender risks of regulatory reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Milagrosa, A.; Frickenstein, J.

2008-01-01

Despite acknowledgment of the significant role of women in economic growth, gender-biased development policies still persist worldwide. In this context, the paper reviews recent policy reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa that perpetuate gender inequality and female poverty for the already impoverished

The poverty elasticity of growth

OpenAIRE

Heltberg, Rasmus

2002-01-01

How much does economic growth contribute to poverty reduction? I discuss analytical and empirical approches to assess the poverty elasticity of growth, and emphasize that the relationship between growth and poverty change is non-constant. For a given poverty measure, it depends on initial inequality and on the location of the poverty line relative to mean income. In most cases, growth is more important for poverty reduction than changes in inequality, but this does not tender inequality unimp...

An International Inquiry: Stories of Poverty--Poverty Stories

Science.gov (United States)

Ciuffetelli Parker, Darlene; Craig, Cheryl J.

2017-01-01

This article features an international inquiry of two high-poverty urban schools, one Canadian and one American. The article examines poverty in terms of "small stories" that educators and students live and tell, often on the edges, unheard and unaccounted for in grand narratives. It also expands the story constellations approach to…

Poverty is Not Just an Indicator: The Relationship Between Income, Poverty, and Child Well-Being.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudry, Ajay; Wimer, Christopher

2016-04-01

In this article, we review the evidence on the effects of poverty and low income on children's development and well-being. We argue that poverty is an important indicator of societal and child well-being, but that poverty is more than just an indicator. Poverty and low income are causally related to worse child development outcomes, particularly cognitive developmental and educational outcomes. Mechanisms through which poverty affects these outcomes include material hardship, family stress, parental and cognitive inputs, and the developmental context to which children are exposed. The timing, duration, and community context of poverty also appear to matter for children's outcomes-with early experiences of poverty, longer durations of poverty, and higher concentrations of poverty in the community leading to worse child outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

GCMs and MDGs: can climate science reduce poverty?

Science.gov (United States)

Thomson, M. C.; Connor, S. J.

2004-12-01

Sub-Saharan Africa, the birthplace of humankind, is seen by many, both as the least developed region of the world, and the region where the processes of globalization and sustainable development are most difficult to set in motion. Sub-Saharan African countries invariably appear en masse at the bottom of the annual UNDP Human Development Report rankings with development indicators such as life expectancy and basic nutrition levels in decline. The poorer communities are most vulnerable to adverse impacts of climate fluctuations and seen as the least able to cope with current climate variability. Sub-Saharan Africa has a population of approximately 625 million, with more than two thirds of the people dependant on rain-fed agriculture. The vast majority of the population lack access to clean water and sanitation and sub-Saharan Africa currently bears the highest burden of infectious diseases such as HIV-AIDS, TB and Malaria to be found anywhere in the world. With almost half of the region's population living on less than US$1 per day, sub-Saharan Africa accounts for one quarter of the world's poor. The rural poor are often considered to have no voice and therefore form a very weak political constituency. International development targets such as the recently articulated UN Millennium Development Goals are seen as one means of giving voice to this large but disenfranchised population. Improved management of climate sensitive sectors is essential to achieving a number of the MDgs: Poverty-Hunger, Disease, Water and sanitation. Climate information is also essential to measuring that achievement, as climate often acts as a confounder in any analysis of interventions. Here we present work on how climate science, including state of the art - multi-model ensemble seasonal climate forecasting models, are being used in support of achieving the MDGs in Africa.

Promoting productive employment in Sub‐Saharan Africa : a review of the literature

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Szirmai, A.; Gebreeyesus, M.; Guadagno, F.; Verspagen, B.

2013-01-01

This report provides an overview of current research on and knowledge about employment trends and policies in sub-Saharan Africa. Access to productive employment is seen as essential for poverty reduction and the inclusion of the poor in wider society. Productive employment is characterised by a.

Determinants of age at first marriage in sub-Saharan Africa: A ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Marriage has traditionally been early and universal in sub-Saharan Africa and this has been blamed for high fertility and the failure to achieve most MDGs including the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, achieving the goal of universal primary education, promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, ...

Poverty in Edwardian Britain.

Science.gov (United States)

Gazeley, Ian; Newell, Andrew

2011-01-01

This article introduces a newly discovered household budget data set for 1904. We use these data to estimate urban poverty among working families in the British Isles. Applying Bowley's poverty line, we estimate that at least 23 per cent of people in urban working households and 18 per cent of working households had income insufficient to meet minimum needs. This is well above Rowntree's estimate of primary poverty for York in 1899 and high in the range that Bowley found in northern towns in 1912–13. The skill gradient of poverty is steep; for instance, among labourers' households, the poverty rates are close to 50 per cent. Measures of the depth of poverty are relatively low in the data, suggesting that most poor male-headed working households were close to meeting Bowley's new standard.

Mapping at-risk-of-poverty rates, household employment, and social spending

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vandenbroucke, F.; Diris, R.; Cantillon, B.; Vandenbroucke, F.

2014-01-01

As a first step stylized facts are presented concerning at-risk-of-poverty rates for the non-elderly population, household employment (a concept introduced in this chapter) and social spending in European welfare states. The chapter provides a first exploration of a central theme of the book, which

Child Poverty: Definition and Measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Short, Kathleen S

2016-04-01

This article provides a discussion of what we mean when we refer to 'child poverty.' Many images come to mind when we discuss child poverty, but when we try to measure and quantify the extent of child poverty, we often use a very narrow concept. In this article a variety of poverty measures that are used in the United States are described and some of the differences between those measures are illustrated. In this article 3 measures are explored in detail: a relative measure of poverty that is used more often in an international context, the official US poverty measure, and a new supplemental poverty measure (SPM). The new measure differs from the other 2 because it takes into account noncash benefits that are provided to poor families. These include nutrition assistance such as food stamps, subsidized housing, and home energy assistance. The SPM also takes account of necessary expenses that families face, such as taxes and expenses related to work and health care. Comparing estimates for 2012, the SPM showed lower poverty rates for children than the other 2 measures. Because noncash benefits help those in extreme poverty, there were also lower percentages of children in extreme poverty with resources below half the SPM threshold. These results suggest that 2 important measures of poverty, the relative measure used in international comparisons, and the official poverty measure, are not able to gauge the effect of government programs on the alleviation of poverty, and the SPM illustrates that noncash benefits do help families meet their basic needs. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Population policy in South Africa: a critical perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Klugman, B

1991-02-01

The argument in this article is that population growth and the concept of balancing resources against population growth is flawed when the context, in this case South Africa, is gross inequalities in resource distribution. The fact is that causes of poverty are located in the social and political structures which give people unequal access to existing resources or international aid. Population trends reflect the mode of production of that society. It is argued that the Malthusian law of population and the theory of demographic transition is ahistorical and inaccurate. The theory does not explain why population growth rates change. In South Africa, fertility reflects lack of control over one's life and poverty. Migrant labor in South Africa undermined normal social institutions and disrupted family life. Government has emphasized a fear of a future population crisis because of resource shortages and a fear of the growing black population. The South African population development program is extracted and discussed. Questions are raised about the theory of demographic transition, the way resource allocation is ascertained, the relationship between resources and population in a specific area, and the relationship between population growth and development in general. The theory of demographic transition is examined and the Western influences which contributed to population growth through requests for changes in sexual mores and the effects of colonization. When demographic transition theory postulates that mortality rates decline with industrialization as a result of access to medical care and an improved diet, it doesn't take into account the discriminatory health care allocation under apartheid, or the displacement of rural people from their land and undermining of the rural peasantry. Separate development has led to inferior schooling and lack of access to skilled employment. In discussing the availability of resources in South Africa, the question is raised as to

Energy poverty in rural Bangladesh

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnes, Douglas F.; Khandker, Shahidur R.; Samad, Hussain A.

2011-01-01

Energy poverty is a well-established concept among energy and development specialists. International development organizations frequently cite energy-poverty alleviation as a necessary condition to reduce income poverty. Several approaches used to measure energy poverty over the past 20 years have defined the energy poverty line as the minimum quantity of physical energy needed to perform such basic tasks as cooking and lighting. This paper uses a demand-based approach to define the energy poverty line as the threshold point at which energy consumption begins to rise with increases in household income. At or below this threshold point, households consume a bare minimum level of energy and should be considered energy poor. This approach was applied using cross-sectional data from a comprehensive 2004 household survey representative of rural Bangladesh. The findings suggest that some 58 percent of rural households in Bangladesh are energy poor, versus 45 percent that are income poor. The findings also suggest that policies to support rural electrification and greater use of improved biomass stoves might play a significant role in reducing energy poverty. - Research Highlights: →We estimate energy poverty for rural Bangladesh adopting a demand-based approach. →Findings suggest that energy poverty does not necessarily follow the same pattern as income poverty. →Access to modern energy and efficient use of traditional energy help alleviate energy poverty. →Energy poverty indicator can help track the effectiveness of a wide range of energy policies.

How Useful Are Skills Acquired at Adult Non-Formal Education and Training Centres for Finding Employment in South Africa?

Science.gov (United States)

Mayombe, Celestin; Lombard, Antoinette

2015-01-01

Non-formal adult education and training (NFET) in South Africa is instrumental in breaking the high level of poverty and decreasing the social inequality the country continues to face as a post-apartheid democracy. Public and private NFET centres in South Africa aim to meet the training needs of adults who have been deprived of formal education…

Urbanization and Inequality/Poverty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brantley Liddle

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The level of world urbanization has crossed the 50% mark, and nearly all future population growth is projected to occur in cities. Cities are disproportionately wealthy, but are associated with poverty, too. Addressing the dual challenges of urbanization and poverty is key to achieving sustainable development. This paper performs cross-sectional regressions, based on Kuznets, as a starting point for understanding the relationship between urbanization and poverty/inequality indicators. Increases in gross domestic product per capita unambiguously lowered poverty and narrowed rural-urban gaps. By contrast, levels of urbanization were either unrelated to poverty/inequality indicators and measures of rural-urban gaps, or had a nonlinear effect where, initially, increases in urbanization likewise led to improvements in those areas, while at higher levels of urbanization, increases in urbanization exacerbated poverty and rural-urban gaps.

Competent Governance for Sustainable Development in Africa: A Philosophical Reflection

Science.gov (United States)

Kadenyi, Misia; George, Kegode; Marcella, Mwaka; Kyalo, Wambua B.

2013-01-01

Africa has been known to be the bedrock of numerous natural resources. However, it seems to be the home of the poorest of the poor in the world. Much of the situation is pathetically characterized by hunger, extreme poverty, corruption, and insecurity. All of these offer the greatest compromise to any hope of change. Aware of this scenario,…

"No Fee" Schools in South Africa. Policy Brief Number 7

Science.gov (United States)

Motala, Shireen; Sayeed, Yusuf

2009-01-01

40% of schools in South Africa, namely the poorest two-fifths as determined by poverty indicators, were declared to be no fee schools as of 2007. These schools receive larger state allocations per learner than other schools, as well as a higher allocation for non-personnel, non-capital expenditure. In other schools parents may continue to apply…

Forced Displacement and Mixed Migration in the Horn of Africa

OpenAIRE

World Bank Group; UNHCR

2015-01-01

The Horn of Africa (HOA) covers Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda. Despite its rich endowment in human, social, and natural capital, the region is plagued by a complex history of weak governance, insecurity, increasing environmental degradation, entrenched poverty, and a range of persistent development challenges. Conflict remains endemic in the re...

Immigrant Child Poverty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Galloway, Taryn Ann; Gustafsson, Björn; Pedersen, Peder J.

2015-01-01

Immigrant and native child poverty in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden 1993–2001 is studied using large sets of panel data. While native children face yearly poverty risks of less than 10 percent in all three countries and for all years studied the increasing proportion of immigrant children...... with an origin in middle- and low-income countries have poverty risks that vary from 38 up to as much as 58 percent. At the end of the observation period, one third of the poor children in Norway and as high as about a half in Denmark and in Sweden are of immigrant origin. The strong overrepresentation...... of immigrant children from low- and middle-income countries when measured in yearly data is also found when applying a longer accounting period for poverty measurement. We find that child poverty rates are generally high shortly after arrival to the new country and typically decrease with years since...

Barriers to overcome for effective cancer control in Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Harford, Joe B

2015-08-01

Cancer control in Africa is complicated due to large differences in cancer incidence between countries caused by differences in exposure to known risk factors. For example, substantial differences are seen when selected cancers in north Africa are compared with those in sub-Saharan Africa. In the future, population growth and demographic shifts are likely to have profound effects on the prevalence of cancer across the continent. Likewise, many factors outside of health care such as language differences, conflict, and poverty can affect cancer control efforts. Although cooperation in cancer control efforts is desirable, differences in cultural and geopolitical factors that characterise African countries and their populations, together with the sheer size of the continent, present unique challenges to effective cancer control. This Series paper discusses factors related to the size, diversity, and conditions within Africa that present barriers to optimal collaboration in cancer control efforts across the continent. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Poverty PhDs: Funds of Knowledge, Poverty, and Professional Identity in Academia

Science.gov (United States)

Cutri, Ramona Maile; Manning, Jill Michelle; Chun, Marc

2011-01-01

In contrast to the common deficit approach, this self-study explores the relationship between the funds of knowledge possessed by people of poverty and their development of professional identity in academia. All three authors have moved beyond conditions of financial poverty, but all find that the mental conditions of poverty persist. We conclude…

Muslim women’s identities in South Africa: A Zanzibari perspective in KwaZulu-Natal.

OpenAIRE

Vahed, Goolam

2014-01-01

This article examines how Zanzibari women in KwaZulu-Natal are negotiating their identities within the context of local and global realities. In South Africa, while the post-apartheid period gave birth to non-racial democracy, South Africa is haunted by high unemployment, widespread poverty and poor service delivery. Globally, this period has witnessed increased conflict since the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York and the subsequent War on Terror which has led some...

Alleviating energy poverty: Indian experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jain, Garima

2010-09-15

Energy services play an important role in human welfare. India faces acute energy poverty indicating lack of access of clean energy fuels. Access to electricity is limited to 56% households in India and about 89% of rural households depend on polluting energy sources. Energy poverty impacts income poverty as poor find it difficult to acquire high priced cleaner fuels. It also adversely impacts the socio economic conditions of women. The paper highlights the linkage of energy poverty with income poverty and gender inequality. It analyses measures taken to alleviate energy poverty and recommends regulatory and policy measures as way forward.

Gender and poverty

OpenAIRE

Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Haddad, Lawrence James; Peña, Christine

1995-01-01

This paper presents new evidence on the association between gender and poverty based on an empirical analysis of 11 data sets from 10 developing countries. The paper computes income- and expenditure-based poverty measures and investigates their sensitivity to the use of per capita and per adult equivalent units. It also tests for differences in poverty incidence between individuals in male- and female-headed households using stochastic dominance analysis. Stochastic dominance analysis reveals...

Vietnam; Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper

OpenAIRE

International Monetary Fund

2004-01-01

This paper assesses the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper of Vietnam, known as the Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (CPRGS). It is an action program to achieve economic growth and poverty reduction objectives. This paper reviews the objectives and tasks of socio-economic development and poverty reduction. The government of Vietnam takes poverty reduction as a cutting-through objective in the process of country socio-economic development and declares its commitment to impleme...

Responding to climate change in southern Africa – the role of research

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Projections show that the effects of climate change in Africa will not be uniform over the region. The region is extremely vulnerable to climate change because of poverty, a high pre-existing disease burden, fragmented health services and water and food insecurity. Despite the consensus that locally relevant information is ...

New Thinking on Poverty: Implications for Globalisation and Poverty Reduction Strategies

OpenAIRE

Paul Shaffer

2008-01-01

Three main changes in thinking about poverty have gained increasing currency over the past decade. First, the concept of poverty has broadened, with increasing attention to issues of vulnerability, inequality and human rights. Second, the causal structure has broadened to include causal variables, such as social, political, cultural, coercive and environmental capital. Third, the causal structure has deepened to focus on flows of individuals into and out of poverty, rather than on changes in ...

Defining poverty as distinctively human

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H.P.P. Lötter

2007-05-01

Full Text Available While it is relatively easy for most people to identify human beings suffering from poverty, it is rather more difficult to come to a proper understanding of poverty. In this article the author wants to deepen our understanding of poverty by interpreting the conventional definitions of poverty in a new light. The article starts with a defence of a claim that poverty is a concept uniquely applicable to humans. It then present a critical discussion of the distinction between absolute and relative poverty and it is then argued that a revision of this distinction can provide general standards applicable to humans everywhere.

The International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Africa: a "disastrous" record.

Science.gov (United States)

Dembele, Demba Moussa

2005-01-01

In their 60th anniversary year, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank will attempt to highlight their "assistance" to Africa. But in reality, since the 1970s, these institutions have gradually become the chief architects of policies that are responsible for the worst inequalities and the explosion of poverty in the world, especially in Africa. When they began to intervene on that continent in the late 1970s and early 1980s, their stated goal was to "accelerate development." But the actual record is just disastrous, as this article reveals.

Poverty culture and education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koković Dragan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available An individual and social groups do not have to be only affected by poverty in economic way, but in a cultural way as well. There is an expression 'poverty culture', which leads to the development of the theory of cultural deprivation. The use of the term poverty culture implies that behavioral patterns of the poor are adopted through education; adopted behavioral patterns are resistant to changes - and, as it is known, education of people, among other, should imply accepting changes. The inveteracy of the poverty culture implies living your own life, which is secluded from identified and dominant life of the ruling culture. Enforcement of poverty and social-economic conditioning influence the tendencies for specific behavioral patterns.

Vertical Differentiation of Cassava Marketing Channels in Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enete, AA.

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa are inherently risky because they are fundamentally dependent on vagaries of weather. Sub-Saharan Africa is also a region in crises; poverty, civil strife and HIV/AIDS. Attention must therefore be focused on improving the production and marketing of crops that could thrive under these circumstances. Because of its tolerance of extreme drought and low input use conditions, Cassava is perhaps the best candidate in this regard. And cassava is a basic food staple and a major source of farm income for the people of the region. Efficiency in cassava marketing is a very important determinant of both consumers' living cost and producers' income in Africa. Vertical differentiation of marketing channels improves marketing efficiency. Identified in this paper are factors that drive vertical differentiation of cassava marketing channels. The paper is based on primary data collected within the framework of the Collaborative Study of Cassava in Africa. High population density, good market access conditions, availability of mechanized cassava processing technology and cassava price information stimulate vertical differentiation of the marketing channels.

Ebola outbreak in West Africa: a neglected tropical disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alcides Troncoso

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs are remediable injustices of our times. Poverty is the starting point, and the ultimate outcome, of NTD. Ebola is just one of many NTDs that badly need attention. Ebola exacerbates West Africa's poverty crisis. The virus spreading in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has led to food shortages and neglect of other devastating tropical illnesses. A health crisis that was ignored for months until it was out of control is now beginning to get the attention required, if not the resources. So far, the world´s nations have contributed far less than the $ 1 billion. The U.N. estimates would need to control the epidemic before it becomes endemic. Past outbreaks of Ebola have flared up in remote, forested communities, disconnected from much of the outside world. But the outbreak in West Africa has not slowed yet, and it worsens there the chances of it spreading to other countries. Ebola draws attention to NTD. Ebola is not only a health emergency, but also it´s a poverty crisis. The current Global Ebola crisis presents a multitude of challenges in terms of our capacity to respond; the future is even less predictable. Ebola outbreak represents inequity in health as the occurrence of health differences considered unnecessary, avoidable, unfair, and unjust, thus adding a moral and ethical dimension to health inequalities. Health equity does not refer only to the fairness in the distribution of health or the provision of health care; rather, it is linked with the larger issues of fairness and justice in social arrangements.

Progress on Poverty? New Estimates of Historical Trends Using an Anchored Supplemental Poverty Measure

Science.gov (United States)

Wimer, Christopher; Fox, Liana; Garfinkel, Irwin; Kaushal, Neeraj; Waldfogel, Jane

2016-01-01

This study examines historical trends in poverty using an anchored version of the U.S. Census Bureau’s recently developed Research Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) estimated back to 1967. Although the SPM is estimated each year using a quasi-relative poverty threshold that varies over time with changes in families’ expenditures on a core basket of goods and services, this study explores trends in poverty using an absolute, or anchored, SPM threshold. We believe the anchored measure offers two advantages. First, setting the threshold at the SPM’s 2012 levels and estimating it back to 1967, adjusted only for changes in prices, is more directly comparable to the approach taken in official poverty statistics. Second, it allows for a better accounting of the roles that social policy, the labor market, and changing demographics play in trends in poverty rates over time, given that changes in the threshold are held constant. Results indicate that unlike official statistics that have shown poverty rates to be fairly flat since the 1960s, poverty rates have dropped by 40 % when measured using a historical anchored SPM over the same period. Results obtained from comparing poverty rates using a pretax/pretransfer measure of resources versus a posttax/posttransfer measure of resources further show that government policies, not market incomes, are driving the declines observed over time. PMID:27352076

Progress on Poverty? New Estimates of Historical Trends Using an Anchored Supplemental Poverty Measure.

Science.gov (United States)

Wimer, Christopher; Fox, Liana; Garfinkel, Irwin; Kaushal, Neeraj; Waldfogel, Jane

2016-08-01

This study examines historical trends in poverty using an anchored version of the U.S. Census Bureau's recently developed Research Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) estimated back to 1967. Although the SPM is estimated each year using a quasi-relative poverty threshold that varies over time with changes in families' expenditures on a core basket of goods and services, this study explores trends in poverty using an absolute, or anchored, SPM threshold. We believe the anchored measure offers two advantages. First, setting the threshold at the SPM's 2012 levels and estimating it back to 1967, adjusted only for changes in prices, is more directly comparable to the approach taken in official poverty statistics. Second, it allows for a better accounting of the roles that social policy, the labor market, and changing demographics play in trends in poverty rates over time, given that changes in the threshold are held constant. Results indicate that unlike official statistics that have shown poverty rates to be fairly flat since the 1960s, poverty rates have dropped by 40 % when measured using a historical anchored SPM over the same period. Results obtained from comparing poverty rates using a pretax/pretransfer measure of resources versus a post-tax/post-transfer measure of resources further show that government policies, not market incomes, are driving the declines observed over time.

Treaty aids 'detensioning of southern Africa'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stumpf, W.

1991-01-01

South Africa's accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is a significant step forward in trading non-weapons related nuclear technology with other world powers. In an interview with Dr Waldo Stumpf, chief executive officer of the Atomic Energy Corporation of South Africa, the impact of this decision on the Corporation and the whole of southern Africa is discussed

A Prospective Study of the Impact of Current Poverty, History of Poverty, and Exiting Poverty on Accumulation of Disease Damage in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Science.gov (United States)

Yelin, Edward; Trupin, Laura; Yazdany, Jinoos

2017-08-01

To estimate the effect of current poverty, number of years in poverty, and exiting poverty on disease damage accumulation in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). For this study, 783 patients with SLE were followed up from 2003 to 2015 through annual structured interviews. Respondents were categorized in each year by whether they had a household income of ≤125% of the US federal poverty level. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to assess the impact of poverty in 2009, number of years in poverty between 2003 and 2009, and permanent exits from poverty as of 2009 on the extent of disease damage (according to the Brief Index of Lupus Damage [BILD] score) or accumulation of a clinically meaningful increase in disease damage (defined as a minimum 2-point increase in the BILD damage score) by 2015. After adjustment for sociodemographic features, health care characteristics, and health behaviors, poverty in 2009 was associated with an increased level of accumulated disease damage in 2015 (mean difference in BILD damage score between poor and non-poor 0.62 points, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.25-0.98) and increased odds of a clinically important increase in damage (odds ratio [OR] 1.67, 95% CI 0.98-2.85). Being poor in every year between 2003 and 2009 was associated with greater damage (mean change in BILD score 2.45, 95% CI 1.88-3.01) than being poor for one-half or more of those years (mean change in BILD score 1.45, 95% CI 0.97-1.93), for fewer than one-half of those years (mean change in BILD score 1.49, 95% CI 1.10-1.88), or for none of those years (mean change in BILD score 1.34, 95% CI 1.20-1.49). Those exiting poverty permanently had similar increases in disease damage (mean change in BILD score 1.30, 95% CI 0.90-1.69) as those who were never in poverty (mean change in BILD score 1.36, 95% CI 1.23-1.50) but much less damage than those who remained in poverty (mean change in BILD score 1.98, 95% CI 1.59-2.38). The effects of current poverty

Applying a Living Lab methodology to support innovation in education at a university in South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Gallaghan, R

2015-07-01

Full Text Available in what the UNDP describes as multi-dimensional poverty. 17.4% of the population live below the poverty line, 9.7 million people are functionally illiterate and 12.5 million people are unemployed (Statistics South Africa, 2012). To address this situation... complicated and evident in the Basic Education as well as in the Higher Education (HE) sectors (Badat & Jayed, 2014). The authors mention challenges such as financial and infrastructural issues, the ‘bifurcation’ of schooling and HE, participation in HE...

Regional differences in family poverty

OpenAIRE

Robert K. Triest

1997-01-01

Poverty rates vary considerably over regions, as do the demographic characteristics of the poor, but why the extent of poverty varies as much as it does across different regions of the country is not fully understood. This is an unfortunate gap in our knowledge, since it is difficult to analyze how recent changes in federal anti-poverty policy will affect the regional distribution of poverty without a better understanding of current regional differences in the poverty rate.> The main goal of ...

The Doha Round Declaration on Cotton: A Catalyst for Poverty Reduction in Africa?

OpenAIRE

Blasco, Lorea Barron; Devadoss, Stephen; Stodick, Leroy

2006-01-01

Cotton plays a strategic role in the development policies and poverty reduction programs of a number of African countries. Several African countries have introduced reforms in the cotton sector to improve its quality and competitiveness. The impact of these reforms has to date been virtually nullified by the fact that certain WTO Members continue to apply support measures and subsidies that distort global market prices. These are the arguments behind the Cotton Initiative raised in 2003 in th...

6. Oyekan Ema Poverty and the Philosophy of Aid in Africa pp19-37

African Journals Online (AJOL)

REGINALDS

Yet the poverty indices of many nations of the world -. Third World .... latter is a class of “ought” which is realistic. While leaving to .... well stocked life-boat, ought to insure its own survival by retaining a safety factor of surplus; this .... manufacturing firms in the developed ones owing to the lack of capacity in the poor nations to.

GLOBAL GOVERNANCE AND POVERTY REDUCTION THIS MILLENNIUM: NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John N. N. Ugoani

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Issue of global poverty became very worrisome that the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000 placed it at the heart of global agenda to halve 1990 extreme poverty and hunger rates by the end of 2015. This means that the percentage of improvised people defined by the World Bank as those living on less than $1.25 a day must fall to 25 percent by the end of this year, while the proportion of people without adequate food security must be reduced to 12.5 percent. To achieve the aim, global leaders agreed to set a time-bound and measurable goals and targets. The United Nations believes that achieving the target which involves improvements in standards of living, universal primary education, empowerment of women, reduction in mortality rates, unemployment, among others, requires a global partnership with national governments, multinational agencies through global governance architecture. The ideal of global governance is a process of co-operative leadership that brings together national governments, multilateral public agencies and civil society to achieve commonly accepted goals. It provides strategic direction and then marshals collective energies to address global challenges. It is inclusive, dynamic and operates across national and sectoral boundaries and interests. It is this perspective of global governance that drives the Millennium Development Goals agenda toward global poverty reduction. This perspective is making positive contributions with some regions in the world heading toward the achievement of the target. Even those countries in sub-saharan Africa where most of the global poor live and who are lagging behind, are making frantic efforts to do so, with the assistance of global bodies like the world bank,  IMF, UNIDO, among others. The beauty of global governance is that it appears to be more democratic than authoritarian, more openly political than bureaucratic, and more integrated than specialized. This is the level that drives the

Elite perceptions of poverty and Nigeria's poverty reduction research ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The way the elite perceive poverty and the poor in any society constitutes a very important dimension of poverty research. This is because normally there are several areas of interrelationship and interdependence between the poor and the elite, and these form part of the basis for social life in all societies. Perceptions of the ...

Toward a new understanding of the links between poverty and illegal wildlife hunting.

Science.gov (United States)

Duffy, Rosaleen; St John, Freya A V; Büscher, Bram; Brockington, Dan

2016-02-01

Conservation organizations have increasingly raised concerns about escalating rates of illegal hunting and trade in wildlife. Previous studies have concluded that people hunt illegally because they are financially poor or lack alternative livelihood strategies. However, there has been little attempt to develop a richer understanding of the motivations behind contemporary illegal wildlife hunting. As a first step, we reviewed the academic and policy literatures on poaching and illegal wildlife use and considered the meanings of poverty and the relative importance of structure and individual agency. We placed motivations for illegal wildlife hunting within the context of the complex history of how wildlife laws were initially designed and enforced to indicate how hunting practices by specific communities were criminalized. We also considered the nature of poverty and the reasons for economic deprivation in particular communities to indicate how particular understandings of poverty as material deprivation ultimately shape approaches to illegal wildlife hunting. We found there is a need for a much better understanding of what poverty is and what motivates people to hunt illegally. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

Decisions in poverty contexts.

Science.gov (United States)

Shafir, Eldar

2017-12-01

The circumstances surrounding poverty-tight financial challenges, instability of income and expenses, low savings, no insurance, and several other stressors-translate into persistent and cognitively taxing hardship for people in poverty contexts. Thoughts about money and expenses loom large, shape mental associations, interfere with other experiences, and are difficult to suppress. The persistent juggling of insufficient resources affects attention, cognitive resources, and ensuing decisions. Despite the demanding struggle with challenging circumstances, people in poverty encounter disdain rather than admiration, and obstacles rather than support. Societal appreciation for the power of context, along with behaviorally informed programs designed to facilitate life under poverty, are essential for those in poverty contexts to be able to make the most of their challenging circumstances. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Literature of Poverty, the Poverty of Literature Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Marsh, John

2011-01-01

In this article, the author focuses on the possibilities--and the limits--of undergraduate courses on the literature of poverty. He describes an undergraduate course he has taught on U.S. literature about poverty, but he also expresses doubt that such courses can help produce major social change. He argues that something about the literature of…

Solar PV rural electrification and energy-poverty. A review and conceptual framework with reference to Ghana

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Obeng, George Yaw [Kwame Nkrumah Univ. of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasei (Ghana). Technology Consultancy Centre; Evers, Hans-Dieter [Center for Development Research (Bonn University) ZEF, Bonn (Germany). Dept. of Political and Cultural Change

2009-07-01

In spite of the intention of governments to increase the use of renewable energy in electricity supply, particularly the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) for energy poverty reduction in rural and peri-urban areas of Africa, there is relatively little information on how solar PV electrification impacts on energy poverty reduction. Therefore, there is a gap in the literature and hence the need for continuous research. Using Ghana as a reference country, the historical trend, donor cooperation and other aspects of solar PV rural electrification are discussed. The paper illustrates the intersectoral linkages of solar PV electrification and indicators on education, health, information acquisition, agriculture and micro-enterprises. It also reviews sustainability related issues including costs and market barriers, subsidies, stakeholders involvement, political and policy implications, which are critical factors for sustainable market development of solar PV and other renewables. Finally, a common framework is developed to provide a basic understanding of how solar PV electrification impacts on energy-poverty. This framework provides a structure of the interrelated concepts and principles relevant to the issues under review. (orig.)

Should poverty researchers worry about inequality?

OpenAIRE

Armando Barrientos

2010-01-01

The paper constructs a case for arguing that poverty researchers need not worry about inequality (as poverty researchers). It reviews conceptualisations of poverty as essentially relational, a particular reflection of prevailing inequalities. In this approach, people are in poverty because they are less well off than others along important dimensions of wellbeing. As against this view, the paper constructs a case for studying poverty as non-relational. In this approach, people are in poverty ...

Explaining the Evolution of Poverty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arndt, Channing; Hussain, Azhar; Jones, Edward Samuel

2012-01-01

We provide a comprehensive approach for analyzing the evolution of poverty using Mozambique as a case study. Bringing together data from disparate sources, we develop a novel “back-casting” framework that links a dynamic computable general equilibrium model to a micro-simulation poverty module....... This framework provides a new approach to explaining and decomposing the evolution of poverty, as well as to examining rigorously the coherence between poverty, economic growth, and inequality outcomes. Finally, various simple but useful and rarely-applied approaches to considering regional changes in poverty...

Investigating smallholder farmers’ exclusion from credit markets in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph Chisasa

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Access to credit by smallholder farmers in South Africa has been empirically observed to be characterised by a variety constraints. This paper examines the demographic, financial and economic characteristics of smallholder farmers in order to gain a better understanding of why smallholder farmers are excluded from formal credit markets. The paper uses survey data collected from 362 smallholder farmers randomly selected from Mpumalanga and North West Provinces of South Africa. Using descriptive analysis, the paper observes that smallholder farmers have low annual turnover, low demand for credit and often with a family culture not to borrow. The paper concludes that smallholder farmers in South Africa are still financially excluded, particularly from the formal banking systems. Results of this paper demonstrate a need for a review of financial policies in favour of increasing the supply of financial services, particularly credit to smallholder farmers if South Africa is to achieve its Millenium Development Goals of employment creation and poverty alleviation.

The first step toward diagnosing female genital schistosomiasis by computer image analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holmen, Sigve Dhondup; Kleppa, Elisabeth; Lillebø, Kristine

2015-01-01

Schistosoma haematobium causes female genital schistosomiasis (FGS), which is a poverty-related disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, it is co-endemic with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and biopsies from genital lesions may expose the individual to increased risk of HIV infection...... statistics, we estimate that the computer color analysis yields a sensitivity of 80.5% and a specificity of 66.2% for the diagnosis of FGS....

A Q methodology study of perceptions of poverty among midwestern nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Work, Janel; Hensel, Desiree; Decker, Kim A

2015-02-01

Providing patient-centered care involves understanding how social factors, including poverty, affect health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore nursing students' beliefs surrounding the poor. A Q methodology design was used to discover patterns of perceptions towards those living in poverty. The study took place on two campuses of a large public, university in the Midwestern United States. The purposeful sample of 23 Q participants was drawn from students enrolled in the second, third, and final year of study in a baccalaureate nursing program. Participants rank-ordered their level of agreement with a set of 30 statements regarding poverty. Data were analyzed by a three-step process that included correlating participant profiles, performing factor analysis, and generating factor scores. A factor array and narrative were used to explain the findings. Three viewpoints were identified: Judges who tended to feel that poverty was linked to individual behavior; Allies who mostly saw societal reasons for poverty and felt a strong need to assist the poor, and Observers who did not blame individual for their circumstances, but were not as compelled to champion their cause. Given these different perspectives, educators may need to use variety of teaching approaches to help students achieve patient-centered care competencies with their poorest patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Demystifying Poverty Measurement in Vietnam

OpenAIRE

Demombynes, Gabriel; Hoang Vu, Linh

2015-01-01

This paper provides an overview of poverty measurement issues in Vietnam for the non-specialist. Vietnam has two main approaches to measuring poverty. An income-based approach is used by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs to generate a classification used for determining anti-poverty program eligibility as well as poverty monitoring over the short term. A separate consumpt...

Financing low carbon energy access in Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gujba, Haruna; Thorne, Steve; Mulugetta, Yacob; Rai, Kavita; Sokona, Youba

2012-01-01

Modern energy access in Africa is critical to meeting a wide range of developmental challenges including poverty reduction and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Despite having a huge amount and variety of energy resources, modern energy access in the continent is abysmal, especially Sub-Saharan Africa. Only about 31% of the Sub-Saharan African population have access to electricity while traditional biomass energy accounts for over 80% of energy consumption in many Sub-Saharan African countries. With energy use per capita among the lowest in the world, there is no doubt that Africa will need to increase its energy consumption to drive economic growth and human development. Africa also faces a severe threat from global climate change with vulnerabilities in several key areas or sectors in the continent including agriculture, water supply, energy, etc. Low carbon development provides opportunities for African countries to improve and expand access to modern energy services while also building low-emission and climate-resilient economies. However, access to finance from different sources will be critical in achieving these objectives. This paper sets out to explore the financial instruments available for low carbon energy access in Africa including the opportunities, markets and risks in low carbon energy investments in the continent. - Highlights: ► Access to finance will be critical to achieving low carbon energy access in Africa. ► Domestic finance will be important in leveraging private finance. ► Private sector participation in modern and clean energy in Africa is still low. ► Many financing mechanisms exist for low carbon energy access in Africa. ► The right institutional frameworks are critical to achieving low carbon energy access in Africa.

Growth and Poverty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arndt, Channing; Leyaro, Vincent; Mahrt, Kristi

2017-01-01

This chapter considers the evolution of welfare of the Tanzanian population using a multi-dimensional approach. It also employs a detailed economy-wide model of the Tanzanian economy to explore growth and monetary poverty reduction scenarios from 2007 to 2015. This approach permits assessment...... of the coherence of observed trends in macroeconomic variables and projects consumption poverty outcomes to 2015. In the multi-dimensional approach, we find that real gains have been achieved. On monetary poverty, our model broadly reproduces key macroeconomic features of the past eight years. We find...... that published consumption poverty reductions for 2007 to 2011/12 from the most recent assessment fall within a reasonable to optimistic range. And, the simulations generate broader based growth across the income distribution compared with the recent assessment. Looking forward, the simulations from 2012 to 2105...

South Africa: a 21st century apartheid in health and health care?

Science.gov (United States)

Mooney, Gavin H; McIntyre, Diane E

The current crisis in health and health care in South Africa results from a combination of factors: the legacy of apartheid; issues of poverty, income inequality and AIDS; and the more recent influence of neoliberal economic policies and globalisation. The legacy of apartheid has meant that both health and health care are skewed along racial lines, and 60% of health care expenditure goes largely to the 14% of the population who have private health insurance. A more equitable distribution of health care resources will result from the promised National Health Insurance, the details of which are still being debated. The AIDS epidemic in South Africa was exacerbated by the government not introducing antiretroviral treatment (ART) until the early 2000s. In 2005, it was estimated that more than 5.5 million South Africans were infected with HIV. Now all those with a CD4 count below 200 are eligible for ART. A better health service will not be enough to improve the health of South Africans. A whole-of-government approach is needed to address the persistent problems of poverty and inequality.

Rainwater harvesting in South Africa: Challenges and opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

Mwenge Kahinda, J.; Taigbenu, A. E.

Water paucity remains a major threat to poverty, hunger alleviation as well as sustainable development. Innovative water technologies such as rainwater harvesting (RWH) have the potential to improve rural water supply and contribute to the provision of the first 6 kl of water consumed monthly. RWH can also be the solution to South Africa food security by increasing water productivity of dryland agriculture and enabling homestead gardening. Although used for decades in South Africa, rainwater harvesting (RWH) is still far from being utilised to its full potential as unresolved challenges prevent its wide scale adoption. The paper presents the challenges and opportunities to the upscaling of RWH in South Africa. Key challenges preventing the nationwide expansion of RWH are the current water related legislations, the lack of finances and the absence of a national umbrella body that coordinates. While opportunities lie in the worth of knowledge gathered by research projects, funded over the last two decades, on the biophysical and socio-economic impacts of RWH.

Spatial Profile of Poverty.Case Study:The North-Eastern Development Region in Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrei SCHVAB

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In the present study the authors try to em-phasize the interdependent relations that are established between space and poverty, as well as the modalities through which poverty policies can be optimized and implemented at the territo-rial systems level in accordance to the polycen-tric development model.The f rst goal of the study is to understand the way in which the complexity of the territory, in its structure and relations, inf uences in un-equal ways the territorial pattern of poverty and development. The concept of territorial poverty that we use in the present study transcends the usual connotation of poverty as a simple lack of different kind of resources towards the incapacity of the system to offer a wide range of impulses and solutions to the encountered problems and thus induce a state of underdevelopment.The second goal is to understand in which ways the polycentric development theory can play a role in reducing poverty. In this sense the authors created a poverty index, and based on this index a polycentric development model was created for the North-Eastern region. This poly-centric development model has direct implica-tions for policy makers, as it highlights the areas that require the most attention and the develop-ment pole that should inf uence its development. By taking into consideration the results of this study, the next logical step for policy makers is to implement the necessary measures by consider-ing the relations between the development pole and the underdeveloped area that is under its in-f uence area. In this respect tailor-f t policies and measures can be applied in the effort to reduce poverty levels.

Poverty monitor 2007

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cok Vrooman; Stella Hoff; Ferdy Otten; Wim Bos

2007-01-01

Original title: Armoedemonitor 2007. The Poverty Monitor 2007 contains the most up-to-date figures on poverty in the Netherlands. The data were collected and analysed by the Netherlands Institute for Social Research/SCP in collaboration with Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The report describes

Poverty Monitor 2000

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2000-01-01

Original title: Armoedemonitor 2000. The Poverty Monitor 2000 (Armoedemonitor 2000) contains the most up-to-date figures on poverty in the Netherlands. The data were collected and analysed by the Netherlands Institute for Social Research/SCP and Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The extent of

Poverty and precarity in Portugal

OpenAIRE

Carvalho, Izaura

2016-01-01

This research assesses poverty levels in Portugal within a multidimensional approach, over a period from 2008 to 2014. Further, it aims at inferring a causal relationship between precarious jobs and the estimated multidimensional poverty level. This research adds to the existing literature by applying a discrete choice experiment in the construction of the poverty index, as well as by nding causality between poverty and precarity. Empirical results suggest that, while multidim...

An assessment of the determinants of women entrepreneurship in selected areas in South Africa / D.T. Malaza

OpenAIRE

Malaza, David Thokozani

2010-01-01

Women entrepreneurship is increasing rapidly, women are starting their own business to take control over their personal and professional lives and the role that these women entrepreneurs play to eradicate poverty and unemployment in South Africa cannot be under estimated. Hence there is a need for extensive research on the contribution and development of women entrepreneurs at all levels of the South African economy. In terms of the adult population in South Africa, women outnu...

Understanding the urban-rural disparity in HIV and poverty nexus: the case of Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Magadi, Monica A

2017-09-01

The relationship between HIV and poverty is complex and recent studies reveal an urban-rural divide that is not well understood. This paper examines the urban-rural disparity in the relationship between poverty and HIV infection in Kenya, with particular reference to possible explanations relating to social cohesion/capital and other moderating factors. Multilevel logistic regression models are applied to nationally-representative samples of 13 094 men and women of reproductive age from recent Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys. The results confirm a disproportionate higher risk of HIV infection among the urban poor, despite a general negative association between poverty and HIV infection among rural residents. Estimates of intra-community correlations suggest lower social cohesion in urban than rural communities. This, combined with marked socio-economic inequalities in urban areas is likely to result in the urban poor being particularly vulnerable. The results further reveal interesting cultural variations and trends. In particular, recent declines in HIV prevalence among urban residents in Kenya have been predominantly confined to those of higher socio-economic status. With current rapid urbanization patterns and increasing urban poverty, these trends have important implications for the future of the HIV epidemic in Kenya and similar settings across the sub-Saharan Africa region. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Globalization, Critical Post-Colonialism and Career and Technical Education in Africa: Challenges and Possibilities

Science.gov (United States)

Goura, Tairou

2012-01-01

In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is central to political discourses and educational concerns as a means for economic development, poverty alleviation, youth employment, and social mobility. Yet, there is an intriguing contradiction between this consideration and the real attention dedicated to…

Brain Drain: A Child's Brain on Poverty. Poverty Fact Sheet

Science.gov (United States)

Damron, Neil

2015-01-01

"Brain Drain: A Child's Brain on Poverty," released in March 2015 and prepared by intern Neil Damron, explores the brain's basic anatomy and recent research findings suggesting that poverty affects the brain development of infants and young children and the potential lifelong effects of the changes. The sheet draws from a variety of…

Africa needs streamlined regulation to support the deployment of GM crops.

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, Howard J; Roderick, Hugh; Tripathi, Leena

2015-08-01

Future food security in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) requires enhancement of its crop production. Transgenic crops with a poverty focus can enhance harvests and are available for staples such as cooking bananas and plantains. One constraint is optimisation of national biosafety processes to support rapid and safe uptake of such beneficial crops. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Poverty Survey 2013

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2013-01-01

Original title: Armoedesignalement 2013 In this joint publication, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and the Netherlands Institute for Social Research¦SCP present the most recent data on poverty in the Netherlands. The report describes the trend in the poverty rate for the Dutch population as a

Poverty Monitor 2003

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cok Vrooman; Henk-Jan Dirven; Stella Hoff; Ger Linden

2003-01-01

Original title: Armoedemonitor 2003. The Poverty Monitor 2003 (Armoedemonitor 2003) contains the most up-to-date figures on poverty in the Netherlands. The data were collected and analysed by the Netherlands Institute for Social Research/SCP and Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The extent of and

Poverty Monitor 2001

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2001-01-01

Original title: Armoedemonitor 2001. The Poverty Monitor 2001 (Armoedemonitor 2001) contains the most up-to-date figures on poverty in the Netherlands. The data were collected and analysed by the Netherlands Institute for Social Research/SCP and Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The extent of and

Determinants of Poverty in Pakistan

OpenAIRE

Huma Yousaf; Imran Ali

2014-01-01

This research discusses impact of macroeconomic variables on poverty in Pakistan. In this article five variables are used and two models are run. The ordinary least squares approach is applied. In first model we check the impact of budget deficit, government expenditure and unemployment on poverty in Pakistan. Budget deficit and government expenditure shows negative relationship with poverty in Pakistan while unemployment has positive relationship with poverty. In second model we check the im...

Poverty in the Brazilian Amazon: An Assessment of Poverty Focused on the State of Para

OpenAIRE

Verner, Dorte

2004-01-01

The states in the Brazilian Amazon have made progress in reducing poverty and improving social indicators in the last decade. Despite this progress, the poverty rate in the Amazon is among the highest in Brazil. As of 2000, rural poverty is the greatest challenge. In Par?, not only is the headcount poverty rate of 58.4 percent in rural areas more than 55 percent higher than headcount pover...

Triple dividends of water consumption charges in South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Letsoalo, Anthony; Blignaut, James; de Wet, Theuns; de Wit, Martin; Hess, Sebastiaan; Tol, Richard S. J.; van Heerden, Jan

2007-05-01

The South African government is exploring ways to address water scarcity problems by introducing a water resource management charge on the quantity of water used in sectors such as irrigated agriculture, mining, and forestry. It is expected that a more efficient water allocation, lower use, and a positive impact on poverty can be achieved. This paper reports on the validity of these claims by applying a computable general equilibrium model to analyze the triple dividend of water consumption charges in South Africa: reduced water use, more rapid economic growth, and a more equal income distribution. It is shown that an appropriate budget-neutral combination of water charges, particularly on irrigated agriculture and coal mining, and reduced indirect taxes, particularly on food, would yield triple dividends, that is, less water use, more growth, and less poverty.

Prophetic preaching in the contemporary context of South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hennie J.C. Pieterse

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In South Africa we have a great legacy of prophetic preaching with preachers such as Desmond Tutu. Since the new dispensation, however, we are confronted today with a new situation of injustice and exclusion: the massive poverty amongst about 50% of the population. This article discusses the conditions for prophetic preaching in the current context of South Africa, which are a clear understanding of the poverty situation and solidarity of the church with the poor, a good understanding of prophetic preaching as a specific type of preaching, as well as the support of the congregation, the churches and the ecumenical church for prophetic preaching. Met predikers soos Desmond Tutu het ons ’n goeie erfenis van profetiese prediking in Suid-Afrika. Sedert die nuwe bedeling word ons egter met ’n nuwe situasie van ongeregtigheid en uitsluiting gekonfronteer: die massiewe armoede van ongeveer 50% van die bevolking. Hierdie artikel bespreek die voorwaardes vir profetiese prediking in die huidige konteks van Suid-Afrika: ’n duidelike begrip van die armoedesituasie en solidariteit van die kerk met die armes, ’n goeie begrip van profetiese prediking as ’n spesifieke soort prediking, asook die ondersteuning van die gemeente, die kerk en die ekumeniese kerk vir profetiese prediking.

Poverty Survey 2012

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2012-01-01

Original title: Armoedesignalement 2012 In this joint publication, the Netherlands Institute for Social Research/SCP and Statistics Netherlands (CBS) present the most up-to-date figures on poverty in the Netherlands. The trend in the poverty rate is described for the population as a whole as

Poverty Survey 2011

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2011-01-01

Original title: Armoedesignalement 2011 In this joint publication, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and the Netherlands Institute for Social Research/SCP present the most up-to-date figures on poverty in the Netherlands. The trend in the poverty rate is described for the population as a whole and

Location and characterization of populations vulnerable to climate change: two case studies in Sub-Saharan Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Wesenbeeck, C.F.A.; Sonneveld, B.G.J.S.; Voortman, R.L.

2016-01-01

Future climate change potentially can have a strong impact on the African continent. Of special concern are the effects on food security and the restricted adaptive capacity of Africa's poverty stricken population. Targeted policy interventions are, therefore, of vital importance. While there is a

Urbanization in Africa since independence.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarver, J D

1994-01-01

Over 185 million inhabitants were added to the urban areas of Africa between 1950 and 1990. Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland is the most highly urbanized, with 55% in 1990; while less than a quarter of Eastern Africa's population is living in urban centers. By the year 2015 more than half of Africa's population will be living in urban areas. Many parts of Africa have suffered prolonged droughts, overgrazing, locust infestations, and desertification. Millions have become refugees from natural disasters, political oppression, and rural poverty. The large exodus from Africa's rural areas has gone to cities but the large cities have attracted disproportionately large numbers of destitute migrants. Alexandria (1 million), Cairo (2.4 million) and the Witwatersrand in South Africa were the only African urban agglomerations with at least one million inhabitants in 1950. By 1990 the two Egyptian cities together had 12.7 million inhabitants and the Witwatersrand some 5 million, whereas the other 25 urban agglomerations with a million inhabitants each in 1990 had a total population of about 51 million. Lagos, Kinshasa, and Algiers ranged from 3 to 7.7 million. The capitals are the largest cities in at least 54 of the 59 countries and territories. Lagos, Nairobi, and Dar es Salaam are disproportionately larger than the next most populous cities in their countries. The 28 urban agglomerations with at least one million inhabitants had a total population of 70 million in 1990, and are projected to reach 100 million in the year 2000. Overall, Africa's urban population is projected to increase by approximately 135 million in the 1990-2000 decade (from 217 million to 352 million). About 105 million of the growth probably will occur in the smaller urban centers. The total African urban population is likely to reach one billion inhabitants within the next 50 years. It stood at 32 million in 1950. Presently, the United Nations projects 912 million urban residents

The lion in West Africa is critically endangered.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philipp Henschel

Full Text Available The African lion has declined to 500 km² PAs and compiled evidence of lion presence/absence for a further eight PAs. All PAs were situated within Lion Conservation Units, geographical units designated as priority lion areas by wildlife experts at a regional lion conservation workshop in 2005. Lions were confirmed in only 4 PAs, and our results suggest that only 406 (273-605 lions remain in West Africa, representing <250 mature individuals. Confirmed lion range is estimated at 49,000 km², or 1.1% of historical range in West Africa. PAs retaining lions were larger than PAs without lions and had significantly higher management budgets. We encourage revision of lion taxonomy, to recognize the genetic distinctiveness of West African lions and highlight their potentially unique conservation value. Further, we call for listing of the lion as critically endangered in West Africa, under criterion C2a(ii for populations with <250 mature individuals. Finally, considering the relative poverty of lion range states in West Africa, we call for urgent mobilization of investment from the international community to assist range states to increase management effectiveness of PAs retaining lions.

At-Risk-of-Poverty Threshold

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Táňa Dvornáková

2012-06-01

Full Text Available European Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC is a survey on households’ living conditions. The main aim of the survey is to get long-term comparable data on social and economic situation of households. Data collected in the survey are used mainly in connection with the evaluation of income poverty and determinationof at-risk-of-poverty rate. This article deals with the calculation of the at risk-of-poverty threshold based on data from EU-SILC 2009. The main task is to compare two approaches to the computation of at riskof-poverty threshold. The first approach is based on the calculation of the threshold for each country separately,while the second one is based on the calculation of the threshold for all states together. The introduction summarizes common attributes in the calculation of the at-risk-of-poverty threshold, such as disposable household income, equivalised household income. Further, different approaches to both calculations are introduced andadvantages and disadvantages of these approaches are stated. Finally, the at-risk-of-poverty rate calculation is described and comparison of the at-risk-of-poverty rates based on these two different approaches is made.

Shadow Economy and Poverty

OpenAIRE

Nikopour, Hesam; Shah Habibullah, Muzafar

2010-01-01

This study attempts to investigate the relationship between shadow economy and poverty by explaining the mechanism through which shadow economy affects poverty via its impact on government size and economic growth, and using the human poverty index (HPI) for developing and developed countries. In order to achieve this objective, the three-way interaction model is utilized using data of 139 developing and 23 developed countries separately during 1999-2007. For developing countries the dynamic ...

Women Farmer’s and Agriculture Growth: Challenge and Perspective for Africa face the economic crisis

OpenAIRE

Adeniyi, Labintan

2010-01-01

In poor countries the agricultural sector is essential to growth, poverty reduction, and food security. In Sub- Saharan Africa, the agricultural sector employs 65 percent of the labor force and generates 32 per cent of GDP growth (Christian Friis Bach and all, 2008).More than half of rural employment in Sub- Saharan Africa consists of self-employed farmers, many of whom are women. Women generally own less land and the land they have is often of lower quality than the land owned by men. Accord...

Freedom and poverty in the fishery commons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svein Jentoft

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract In fisheries, alleviating poverty sometimes requires strategies that are inherently in conflict. When aiming to develop a fishery as a means to reduce poverty, its common pool resource basis might be undermined, resulting in greater poverty. But poverty in fisheries is also linked to, or a part of deeper social issues and processes, for instance, the marginalization and exclusion of certain communities. Poverty also has many factors— income, health, literacy, gender, power, security, etc.—all of which make poverty alleviation a particularly “wicked problem” that would require a broad process of political, social and institutional reform. In other words, poverty alleviation is not only an issue of sustainable resource management but also one of societal governance. Drawing from research in small-scale fisheries communities in Nicaragua, Tanzania, and Bangladesh, this paper describes how fishing people cope with poverty. The paper discusses what the governance implications are for alleviating poverty at individual, household and community levels, and argue that both the definition of poverty and poverty alleviation in small-scale fisheries must be rooted in real life experiences.

Poverty Survey 2014

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cok Vrooman; Stella Hoff; Ferdy Otten; Wim Bos e.o.

2014-01-01

In this joint publication, the Netherlands Institute for Social Research¦SCP and Statistics Netherlands (CBS) present the most up-to-date figures on poverty in the Netherlands. The development of the poverty rate is described for the Dutch population as a whole as well as for the main groups at

Poverty and Education

Science.gov (United States)

Thomson, Pat

2015-01-01

In this article the author discusses the multiple ways in which the enduring, and increasing, problems associated with child poverty blight young people's educational opportunities in the school system. Current policies, supported by a sympathetic media, blame individuals for their poverty, and blame teachers when they fail to "close the…

Urban Poverty and Gender Issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitullah, W.V.

1999-01-01

Poverty continues to be a global concern. In Kenya at independence poverty was identified as one of the three main enemies of development; the other two being disease and ignorance. Although there has been deliberate efforts to address disease and ignorance, poverty seem to have overwhelmed the GoK. This is depicted in the fact that 46 per cent of the country's rural population live below poverty line whereas in urban areas incidence of poverty is about 30 per cent. Further Kenya has one of the lowest per-capita incomes in the world and ranks high among world countries that have very high levels of inequality (Kenya and UNICEF, 1992). Overall, 13 million Kenyans have no access to safe water, 6 million have no access to health facilities and 14 million have no access to sanitation (Ikiara and Tostensen, 1995). Many households and individuals are added to the 'poverty space' on daily basis

Inside poverty and development in Africa : critical reflections on pro-poor policies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rutten, M.M.E.M.; Leliveld, A.H.M.; Foeken, D.W.J.

2008-01-01

When discussing development issues in Africa, it is not sufficient to simply stress the ubiquity of failure, malnutrition, disease, predatory states and war, one also has to recognize that important aspects in the lives of millions of ordinary people have been transformed over the last five decades.

Perceptions on reducing constraints for smalholder entrepreneurship in Africa: the case of soil fertility in Northern Ghana

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Becx, G.A.; Mol, G.; Eenhoorn, J.W.; Kamp, van der J.; Vliet, van J.M.

2012-01-01

Effective poverty reduction in Africa requires enabling more smallholder farmers to move from subsistence farming to a more entrepreneurial fashion of farming. Earlier studies showed that smallholders are constrained in doing so because of lack of incentives, high risks, production problems and lack

24 CFR 597.103 - Poverty rate.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Poverty rate. 597.103 Section 597... Area Requirements § 597.103 Poverty rate. (a) General. The poverty rate shall be established in accordance with the following criteria: (1) In each census tract within a nominated urban area, the poverty...

Private Enterprise-led Economic Development in Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuada, John

2014-01-01

As a continent, Africa occupies nearly a quarter of the World’s land area and home for one-seventh of its population. But a large proportion of the people, especially those living in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) are mired in abject poverty. Recent years have witnessed some positive developments. Six...... economics (i.e. the human side of economic activities) as a new theoretical platform for understanding economic growth and development. Furthermore, it introduces human capability development and the enabling factors as a framework for studying entrepreneurship and enterprise growth strategies in SSA....... of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies in 2010 were from there. But their growth has failed to translate into job creation and inclusive development. This experience has encouraged a renewed search for a sustainable economic development model for the sub-continent. The present dissertation contributes...

Improving Shaping Efforts in Africa’s Maghreb and Sahel

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-21

threat in North Africa to U.S. interests? Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a relatively new franchise of Al Qaeda. Upon declaring allegiance...trafficking to finance their operations. Should a West African franchise of Al Qaeda, or any other terrorist organization with local grievances and/or global...solve issues like desertification, poverty, unemployment , social inequalities, and so on. By adapting to this new environment and by reallocating

Poverty on the Cards 2016

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stella Hoff; Jean Marie Wildeboer Schut; Benedikt Goderis; Cok Vrooman

2016-01-01

Decline in poverty since 2014 According to SCP’s ‘modest but adequate’ poverty threshold, 7.6% of the Dutch population were living in poverty in 2014. That figure is expected to have fallen to 7% in 2016. If the promised measures to improve purchasing power are implemented,

How we see poverty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan Morduch

2012-06-01

Full Text Available How we think about poverty is colored by how we measure it. For economists, that often means seeing poverty through quantities measured in large, representative surveys.  The surveys give a comprehensive view, but favor breadth over depth. Typical economic surveys are limited in their ability to tease out informal activity, and, while they capture yearly sums, they offer little about how the year was actually lived by families. Year-long financial diaries provide a complementary way of seeing poverty, with a focus on week by week choices and challenges. The result is a re-framing of poverty and its relationship to money, calling for greater attention to financial access and a broader notion of how finance matters.

7 CFR 25.104 - Poverty rate.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Poverty rate. 25.104 Section 25.104 Agriculture Office... § 25.104 Poverty rate. (a) General. Eligibility of an area on the basis of poverty shall be established in accordance with the following poverty rate criteria specific to Round I, Round II, Round IIS and...

Halving Poverty in Indonesia

OpenAIRE

Auwalin, Ilmiawan

2009-01-01

This study extends the literature on relationship between economic growth, income inequalities, and poverty reduction. We discuss poverty reduction, using the case ofIndonesia, as one of the Millennium Development Goals declared by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2000. Using provincial level data of Indonesia from 1993 to 2000, we examine the required conditions in order to halve the poverty in Indonesia by2015. The result of analysis shows that Indonesia would need to achiev...

Poverty and Social Transfers in Croatia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zoran Šuæur

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Various aspects of poverty in Croatia are still insufficiently well researched. Not only is there no knowledge about how long Croatian citizens remain poor, but there are also some disagreements about the actual number of the poor and the choice of the national poverty line. Nor has there been any precise evaluation of the effects of the individual anti-poverty policy measures. The objective of this paper was to analyse the basic indicators of the scope and distribution of poverty, the risk groups and the structure of the population of the poor and to investigate the role of social transfers in the reduction of poverty. The paper consists of four parts and an introduction. In Part 1 there is an analysis of the trends in the numbers of the poor in Croatia at the beginning of the millennium and the profile of poverty. The second part deals with the policy for the reduction or elimination of poverty, while in Part 3 the author deals with the problem of selecting the official poverty line and the role of the minimum income in Croatia. Part 4 contains the conclusions. Using the official EU poverty line, a comparative analysis shows that the rates of relative poverty in Croatia do not deviate greatly from the EU mean, although Croatia does have a somewhat higher rate of poverty than most of the countries in the Union. Most at risk of falling below the poverty line are the elderly, the retired and the unemployed, single-person households, single-parent families and families with three or more children. The total system of social transfers is not less effective than the transfer systems of most of the countries of the EU. If we exclude old age and survivor pensions from the social transfers, in fact, Croatia has the most effective social transfers of any of the countries observed. However, on the other hand, the poverty rate reduction due to old age and survivor pensions is one of the lowest in the countriescompared.

Measuring energy poverty in Greece

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papada, Lefkothea; Kaliampakos, Dimitris

2016-01-01

A comprehensive research in the field of energy poverty is undertaken in this paper, in an attempt to highlight the great vulnerability of Greek households on energy poverty, in the middle of a severe economic crisis. Till now, Greek energy policy has been considered insufficient to tackle energy poverty issues, as focusing mainly on short-term rather than permanent solutions. A primary survey has been conducted, recording objective data of energy expenses as well as subjective perceptions about housing conditions. The findings showed that, under the objective expenditure-based method, 58% of Greek households are energy poor. Among households under the poverty threshold, the energy poverty rate exceeds 90%. Existing and new subjective indicators shed light on other aspects of energy poverty, such as the level of thermal comfort at home, damp problems detected, restriction of other essential needs in order to manage energy payments, etc. Some interesting conclusions are also drawn by exploring the relationship between various indicators. It appears that households considered energy poor are not identical when examined by objective and subjective indicators. However, different indicators complement each other by capturing different aspects of the problem and provide a broader overview of the issue. - Highlights: •58% of Greek households are energy poor. •75% of Greek households have reduced other essentials in favor of energy needs. •Combination of objective and subjective indicators captures better energy poverty. •Greek energy policy has failed to tackle energy poverty issues.

Real Life Poverty in America: Where the American Public Would Set the Poverty Line.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Hare, William; And Others

This report discusses the results of a 1989 poll conducted by the Gallup Organization in which a representative sample of Americans were asked where they would set the poverty line. The poverty line in current use by the Federal Government was created in the mid-1960s, using data from the 1950s. Setting the poverty line involves a basic decision…

24 CFR 598.115 - Poverty rate.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Poverty rate. 598.115 Section 598... Requirements § 598.115 Poverty rate. (a) General. In order to be eligible for designation, an area's poverty... poverty rate must be not less than 20 percent; and (2) For at least 90 percent of the census tracts within...

Navigating the limitations of energy poverty: Lessons from the promotion of improved cooking technologies in Kenya

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sesan, Temilade

2012-01-01

Energy poverty has been defined as the lack of access of households in developing countries to modern energy sources, and their consequent reliance on solid biomass fuels for cooking. Improved stoves have been promoted by development actors since the 1970s to alleviate various environmental and health problems associated with biomass use, with largely disappointing outcomes. Against this background, this paper examines the intervention of an international development organisation – Practical Action – in West Kochieng, Kenya, where the organisation's energy poverty alleviation efforts are aimed at addressing the health hazards of biomass smoke with six ‘low-cost’ improved cooking technologies. The study reveals that the cooking technology most valued by poor West Kochieng households is the one which most reflects their priorities, rather than those expressed by Practical Action. The findings point to three aspects of appropriateness of energy poverty alleviation interventions – technological, economic and cultural – which combine to influence acceptance and uptake of such interventions. The evidence highlights some of the limitations inherent in the generic policy recommendation to ‘leapfrog’ towards the resolution of energy poverty-related problems, and suggests that more measured steps which respond to the socio-economic realities of poor households are likely to engender more appropriate solutions. - Highlights: ► The technological, economic, and cultural appropriateness of stoves influence uptake. ► Appropriate energy technologies take cognisance of the limitations of poverty. ► Such technologies are more likely to be adopted by biomass-reliant poor households. ► Energy poverty cannot be isolated from the broader context of poverty. ► Eliminating poverty is a prerequisite to alleviating energy poverty.

A new energy future for South Africa: The political ecology of South African renewable energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krupa, Joel; Burch, Sarah

2011-01-01

Renewable energy remains a contested topic in South Africa. This paper argues that South Africa can build on the momentum surrounding its introduction of a feed-in tariff by enacting policies that may, if given adequate funding and political effort, allow the country to be a world leader in renewable energy. Given a variety of renewable energy policy options for moving forward, a majority of stakeholders consulted in this study strongly prefer the development of a renewable energy manufacturing cluster, in which government develops coordinated policy mechanisms that attract renewable energy manufacturers, over three other policies suggested by the authors. Interviews with key informants that play critical roles in this decision-making process suggest that there are reasons to remain cautiously optimistic about the country's renewable energy future while cognizant of the challenges that must still be overcome. Opportunities for a low carbon renewable energy transition in South Africa include the prevalence of broad stakeholder consultation, facilitated by civil society, and an innovative policy development context. Significant impediments also exist, however, and include pervasive social issues such as poverty and political inertia, along with the ongoing difficulties facing renewable energy technologies in reaching grid parity with inexpensive and abundant South African coal. - Highlights: → Numerous opportunities exist for a low carbon energy transition in South Africa. → Stakeholders in study prefer development of a renewable energy manufacturing cluster. → Significant impediments still exist, including grid parity, poverty, and inequality.

A new energy future for South Africa: The political ecology of South African renewable energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krupa, Joel, E-mail: jkrupa@mstar-ca.com [University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY (United Kingdom); Burch, Sarah [University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY (United Kingdom)

2011-10-15

Renewable energy remains a contested topic in South Africa. This paper argues that South Africa can build on the momentum surrounding its introduction of a feed-in tariff by enacting policies that may, if given adequate funding and political effort, allow the country to be a world leader in renewable energy. Given a variety of renewable energy policy options for moving forward, a majority of stakeholders consulted in this study strongly prefer the development of a renewable energy manufacturing cluster, in which government develops coordinated policy mechanisms that attract renewable energy manufacturers, over three other policies suggested by the authors. Interviews with key informants that play critical roles in this decision-making process suggest that there are reasons to remain cautiously optimistic about the country's renewable energy future while cognizant of the challenges that must still be overcome. Opportunities for a low carbon renewable energy transition in South Africa include the prevalence of broad stakeholder consultation, facilitated by civil society, and an innovative policy development context. Significant impediments also exist, however, and include pervasive social issues such as poverty and political inertia, along with the ongoing difficulties facing renewable energy technologies in reaching grid parity with inexpensive and abundant South African coal. - Highlights: > Numerous opportunities exist for a low carbon energy transition in South Africa. > Stakeholders in study prefer development of a renewable energy manufacturing cluster. > Significant impediments still exist, including grid parity, poverty, and inequality.

Estimation of undernutrition and mean calorie intake in Africa: methodology, findings and implications.

Science.gov (United States)

van Wesenbeeck, Cornelia F A; Keyzer, Michiel A; Nubé, Maarten

2009-06-27

As poverty and hunger are basic yardsticks of underdevelopment and destitution, the need for reliable statistics in this domain is self-evident. While the measurement of poverty through surveys is relatively well documented in the literature, for hunger, information is much scarcer, particularly for adults, and very different methodologies are applied for children and adults. Our paper seeks to improve on this practice in two ways. One is that we estimate the prevalence of undernutrition in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) for both children and adults based on anthropometric data available at province or district level, and secondly, we estimate the mean calorie intake and implied calorie gap for SSA, also using anthropometric data on the same geographical aggregation level. Our main results are, first, that we find a much lower prevalence of hunger than presented in the Millennium Development reports (17.3% against 27.8% for the continent as a whole). Secondly, we find that there is much less spread in mean calorie intake across the continent than reported by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in the State of Food and Agriculture, 2007, the only estimate that covers the whole of Africa. While FAO estimates for calorie availability vary from a low of 1760 Kcal/capita/day for Central Africa to a high of 2825 Kcal/capita/day for Southern Africa, our estimates lay in a range of 2245 Kcal/capita/day (Eastern Africa) to 2618 Kcal/capita/day for Southern Africa. Thirdly, we validate the main data sources used (the Demographic and Health Surveys) by comparing them over time and with other available data sources for various countries. We conclude that the picture of Africa that emerges from anthropometric data is much less negative than that usually presented. Especially for Eastern and Central Africa, the nutritional status is less critical than commonly assumed and also mean calorie intake is higher, which implies that agricultural production and hence income must also

Poverty and the violation of human rights: a proposed conceptual framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Schuftan, Claudio

2012-01-01

The paper proposes a conceptual framework linking the causes of poverty with the causes of human rights violations. Both are presented as outcomes of a cascading chain of determinants grouped as immediate, underlying, and basic causes. The framework will make situation analyses focused on poverty and human rights better adjusted to the reality on the ground. It is also the first step in using the human rights-based approach, now an established methodology being used by a growing number of health and development practitioners and seen by the United Nations system as the way forward. The framework also provides guidance to communities in identifying, in a participatory way, causes of the problems that affect them. The framework is presented in a diagram format followed by a list of the major determinants in each causal level.

Rural poverty in transition countries

OpenAIRE

Macours, K; Swinnen, Jo

2006-01-01

This paper uses new poverty data based on household level surveys to analyze changes in rural poverty and rural-urban poverty differences in 23 transition countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the firmer Soviet Union. The paper presents a series of hypotheses to explain differences across countries and changes over time.

Poverty Underestimation in Rural India- A Critique

OpenAIRE

Sivakumar, Marimuthu; Sarvalingam, A

2010-01-01

When ever the Planning Commission of India releases the poverty data, that data is being criticised by experts and economists. The main criticism is underestimation of poverty especially in rural India by the Planning Commission. This paper focuses on that criticism and compares the Indian Planning Commission’s 2004-05 rural poverty data with the India’s 2400 kcal poverty norms, World Bank’s US $1.08 poverty concept and Asian Development Bank’s US $1.35 poverty concept.

Understanding energy poverty - Case study: Tajikistan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robic, Slavica; Olshanskaya, Marina; Vrbensky, Rastislav; Morvaj, Zoran

2010-09-15

Access and affordability to energy services determine the state of energy poverty; however, there is no widely applicable definition of energy poverty and no universal set of measures for its eradication exists. This paper offers a new definition and possible solution for decrease, and eventually eradication, of energy poverty for the specific case of Tajikistan. As eradication of energy poverty needs to go in hand with nature preservation and economic development, authors provide possible approach to decrease of energy poverty in Tajikistan while simultaneously preserving nature and boosting the local economy.

China, India, South Africa, Brazil (BASIC): Crucial for the global environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

world. At the same time both countries face severe environmental constraints and energy security issues, spurring innovation while threatening to undermine future development and sustained poverty alleviation. Brazil is a global treasure house for tropical forests which constitute a key carbon stock and vital refuge of biodiversity, a leader of the developing world in forums such as the G-77, and the economic engine of South America. South Africa is the leading nation in sub-Saharan Africa, where we find most of the worlds Least Developed Countries. South Africa is thus a crucial partner when addressing poverty reduction and sustainable development through sound economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ecological overshoot: Not only a developed country problem The average ecological footprint of middle income countries including Brazil, China and South Africa has already surpassed the global average available biocapacity (ref. table below). This shows that although Brazil, China and South Africa are still developing countries with significant portions of their populations living in poverty, they have already passed the threshold of what may be considered sustainable development (based on a global average). While Indias footprint per capita does not exceed the global average it is almost twice the available biocapacity in India itself, showing that also India has a resource security and sustainable development challenge.(auth)

China, India, South Africa, Brazil (BASIC): Crucial for the global environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

world. At the same time both countries face severe environmental constraints and energy security issues, spurring innovation while threatening to undermine future development and sustained poverty alleviation. Brazil is a global treasure house for tropical forests which constitute a key carbon stock and vital refuge of biodiversity, a leader of the developing world in forums such as the G-77, and the economic engine of South America. South Africa is the leading nation in sub-Saharan Africa, where we find most of the worlds Least Developed Countries. South Africa is thus a crucial partner when addressing poverty reduction and sustainable development through sound economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ecological overshoot: Not only a developed country problem The average ecological footprint of middle income countries including Brazil, China and South Africa has already surpassed the global average available biocapacity (ref. table below). This shows that although Brazil, China and South Africa are still developing countries with significant portions of their populations living in poverty, they have already passed the threshold of what may be considered sustainable development (based on a global average). While Indias footprint per capita does not exceed the global average it is almost twice the available biocapacity in India itself, showing that also India has a resource security and sustainable development challenge. (Au)

Nephrology in Africa--not yet uhuru.

Science.gov (United States)

Swanepoel, Charles R; Wearne, Nicola; Okpechi, Ikechi G

2013-10-01

Nephrology is a 'Cinderella speciality', a disregarded area of health care, in Africa. Other health issues have relegated the treatment of kidney diseases to a low priority status, and the cost of treating the more common and widespread communicable diseases, financial mismanagement and corruption in many countries has sounded the death knell for expensive therapies such as dialysis. The communicable diseases that have devastated the health systems around Africa are tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Until recently, very little information was available on the impact of HIV on acute and chronic dialysis admissions. Patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) in most of Africa are seldom treated because of great distances to travel, lack of expertise, poverty and poor sustainable funding for health matters. An acute peritoneal dialysis (PD) programme has now been initiated in Tanzania but the sustainability of this project will be tested in the future. The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) has developed a training programme for nephrologists from developing countries, which may now be bearing fruit. A report from the sub-Saharan Africa region shows that the numbers of patients on dialysis and those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) has increased significantly. Other ISN-sponsored programmes such as Continuing Medical Education activities for physicians and community screening projects have had far-reaching positive effects. Government funding for a dialysis programme is well established in South Africa, but this funding is limited so that the numbers accepted for public dialysis are restricted. Consequently in the Western Cape province of South Africa, a 'category system' has been formulated to attempt to cope with this unacceptable and restrictive ruling.

Poverty concentration in an affluent city: Geographic variation and correlates of neighborhood poverty rates in Hong Kong

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yingqi; Chang, Shu-Sen; Sha, Feng

2018-01-01

Previous investigations of geographic concentration of urban poverty indicate the contribution of a variety of factors, such as economic restructuring and class-based segregation, racial segregation, demographic structure, and public policy. However, the models used by most past research do not consider the possibility that poverty concentration may take different forms in different locations across a city, and most studies have been conducted in Western settings. We investigated the spatial patterning of neighborhood poverty and its correlates in Hong Kong, which is amongst cities with the highest GDP in the region, using the city-wide ordinary least square (OLS) regression model and the local-specific geographically weighted regression (GWR) model. We found substantial geographic variations in small-area poverty rates and identified several poverty clusters in the territory. Factors found to contribute to urban poverty in Western cities, such as socioeconomic factors, ethnicity, and public housing, were also mostly associated with local poverty rates in Hong Kong. Our results also suggest some heterogeneity in the associations of poverty with specific correlates (e.g. access to hospitals) that would be masked in the city-wide OLS model. Policy aimed to alleviate poverty should consider both city-wide and local-specific factors. PMID:29474393

Poverty concentration in an affluent city: Geographic variation and correlates of neighborhood poverty rates in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yingqi; Chang, Shu-Sen; Sha, Feng; Yip, Paul S F

2018-01-01

Previous investigations of geographic concentration of urban poverty indicate the contribution of a variety of factors, such as economic restructuring and class-based segregation, racial segregation, demographic structure, and public policy. However, the models used by most past research do not consider the possibility that poverty concentration may take different forms in different locations across a city, and most studies have been conducted in Western settings. We investigated the spatial patterning of neighborhood poverty and its correlates in Hong Kong, which is amongst cities with the highest GDP in the region, using the city-wide ordinary least square (OLS) regression model and the local-specific geographically weighted regression (GWR) model. We found substantial geographic variations in small-area poverty rates and identified several poverty clusters in the territory. Factors found to contribute to urban poverty in Western cities, such as socioeconomic factors, ethnicity, and public housing, were also mostly associated with local poverty rates in Hong Kong. Our results also suggest some heterogeneity in the associations of poverty with specific correlates (e.g. access to hospitals) that would be masked in the city-wide OLS model. Policy aimed to alleviate poverty should consider both city-wide and local-specific factors.

Pathways from Poverty.

Science.gov (United States)

Baldwin, Barbara, Ed.

1995-01-01

Articles in this theme issue are based on presentations at the Pathways from Poverty Workshop held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on May 18-25, 1995. The event aimed to foster development of a network to address rural poverty issues in the Western Rural Development Center (WRDC) region. Articles report on outcomes from the Pathways from Poverty…

Child poverty. Ways forward for the paediatrician: A comprehensive overview of poverty reduction strategies requiring paediatric support.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Suparna; Ford-Jones, Elizabeth

2015-05-01

The harmful effects of child poverty are well documented. Despite this, progress in poverty reduction in Canada has been slow. A significant gap exists between what is known about eradicating poverty and its implementation. Paediatricians can play an important role in bridging this gap by understanding and advancing child poverty reduction. Establishment of a comprehensive national poverty reduction plan is essential to improving progress. The present review identifies the key components of an effective poverty reduction strategy. These elements include effective poverty screening, promoting healthy child development and readiness to learn, ensuring food and housing security, providing extended health care coverage for the uninsured and using place-based solutions and team-level interventions. Specific economic interventions are also reviewed. Addressing the social determinants of health in these ways is crucial to narrowing disparities in wealth and health so that all children in Canada reach their full potential.

Trauma in sub-Saharan Africa: review of cost, estimation methods, and interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Smigelsky, Melissa A; Aten, Jamie D; Gerberich, Stacy; Sanders, Mark; Post, Rachael; Hook, Kimberly; Ku, Angie; Boan, David M; Monroe, Phil

2014-01-01

Trauma is a widely acknowledged problem facing individuals and communities in developing countries. In sub-Saharan Africa-a region that is home to some of the world's worst human rights violations, ethnic and civil conflicts, disease epidemics, and conditions of poverty-trauma is an all-too-common experience in citizens' daily lives. In order to address these conditions effectively, the impact of trauma must be understood. The authors reviewed recent literature on the cost and consequences of psychological trauma in sub-Saharan Africa to provide a substantive perspective on how trauma affects individuals, communities, and organizations and to inform the effort to determine a method for measuring the impact of trauma in sub-Saharan Africa and the efficacy of trauma interventions in the region. Several recommendations are offered to help broaden and deepen the current approaches to conceptualizing trauma, evaluating its cost, and intervening on behalf of those impacted by trauma in sub-Saharan Africa.

Child Labor in Africa: A Comparative Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Canagarajah, Sudharshan; Nielsen, Helena Skyt

2001-01-01

This paper analyzes the determinants of child labor in Africa as inferred from recent empirical studies. The empirical analysis is based upon five country studies undertaken in three different African countries, namely Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Zambia. Some support is found for the popular belief...... of poverty as a determinant of child labor, however other determinants are of similar importance. Among school costs, transportation costs have the greatest effect on child labor and school attendance, whereas the hypothesis of imperfect capital markets and that of household composition generally find some...

Child Labor in Africa: A Comparative Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Helena Skyt; Canagarajah, Sudharshan

1999-01-01

This paper analyzes the determinants of child labor in Africa as inferred from recent empirical studies. The empirical analysis is based upon five country studies undertaken in three different African countries, namely Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Zambia. Some support is found for the popular belief...... of poverty as a determinant of child labor, however other determinants are of similar importance. Among school costs, transportation costs have the greatest effect on child labor and school attendance, whereas the hypothesis of imperfect capital markets and that of household composition generally find some...

Food aid for market development in Sub-Saharan Africa

OpenAIRE

Abdulai, Awudu; Barrett, Christopher B.; Hazell, Peter

2004-01-01

"Food aid remains significant for food availability in many low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa, helping to reduce the gap between food consumption needs and supply from domestic production and inventories and commercial imports. Food aid remains a contentious subject, however, and there have been many recent pleas for more effective use of the resource. This study explores how food aid might be used for domestic food market development to facilitate poverty alleviation and economic gr...

Joining together to combat poverty.

Science.gov (United States)

Heath, I; Haines, A; Malenica, Z; Oulton, J A; Leopando, Z; Kaseje, D; Addington, W W; Giscard D'Estaing, O; Tumwine, J K; Koivusalo, M; Biscoe, G; Nickson, P; Marusić, M; Vuk Pavlović, S

2000-03-01

The International Poverty and Health Network (IPHN) was created in December 1997 following a series of conferences organized by the World Health Organization, with the aim of integrating health into plans to eradicate poverty. Around 1.3 billion people live on less than US$1 per day. Of the 4.4 billion people in developing countries nearly 60% lack access to sanitation, 30% do not have clean water, 20% have no health care, and 20% do not have enough dietary energy and protein. Even among rich nations there are gross socioeconomic inequalities. Many children are robbed of their physical and mental potential through poverty. Expressed in constant 1963 US dollars, an average Croatian family needed the annual income of US$894 to meet the poverty line in 1960 and US$9,027 in 1995. Accordingly, 9-25% of Croatian households were below the poverty line between 1960 and 1995. The increase in the poverty rate after 1991 was compounded by the war that destroyed almost a third of industrial capacity and infrastructure. Dissipation of the communist economy and inadequate privatization have contributed to the increase in unemployment rate, corruption, and other social ills. IPHN invited Croatian Medical Journal to publish this editorial to help push the issue of poverty up political and medical agendas on a global level. We argue that a factor contributing to the failure of most large-scale programs against poverty to date is the excessive emphasis on material and infrastructure assistance at the expense of spiritual, moral, and intellectual development.

Monetary Poverty, Material Deprivation and Consistent Poverty in Portugal

OpenAIRE

Carlos Farinha Rodrigues; Isabel Andrade

2012-01-01

In this paper we use the Portuguese component of the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions {EU-SILC) to develop a measure of consistent poverty in Portugal. It is widely agreed that being poor does not simply mean not having enough monetary resources. It also reflects a lack of access to the resources required to enjoy a minimum standard of living and participation in the society one belor]gs to. The coexistence of material deprivation and monetary poverty leads ...

The local church as a non-governmental organisation in the fight against poverty: A historical overview of Bethulie 1933–1935

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johan van der Merwe

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Poverty is one of the greatest threats to society. In South Africa it is also one of the biggest challenges. This article starts with the challenges put to society by Mr Trevor Manuel at the Carnegie 3 conference. It then explores the possibility of if and how the church can act as a non-governmental organisation in the fight against poverty. A historical overview of the actions of Rev. E.P. Groenewald, during the drought of 1933–1934 in the Dutch Reformed Church Bethulie, serves as a case study of how the church can make a difference. It, however, also illustrates the many pitfalls on this challenging road. The article comes to the conclusion that the main challenge of the church in the fight against poverty is to act as a non-governmental organisation, which transforms values and assists society with good organisation and administration.

Climate Change and Poverty Reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, Simon

2011-08-15

Climate change will make it increasingly difficult to achieve and sustain development goals. This is largely because climate effects on poverty remain poorly understood, and poverty reduction strategies do not adequately support climate resilience. Ensuring effective development in the face of climate change requires action on six fronts: investing in a stronger climate and poverty evidence base; applying the learning about development effectiveness to how we address adaptation needs; supporting nationally derived, integrated policies and programmes; including the climate-vulnerable poor in developing strategies; and identifying how mitigation strategies can also reduce poverty and enable adaptation.

On the Robustness of Poverty Predictors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arndt, Channing; Nhate, Virgulino; Silva, Patricia Castro Da

Monitoring of poverty requires timely household budget data. However, such data are not available as frequently as needed for policy purposes. Recently, statistical methods have emerged to predict poverty overtime by combining detailed household consumption and expenditure data with more frequent...... data collected from other surveys. In this paper we compare poverty predictions for Mozambique using different source data to test the robustness of the predicted poverty statistics. A critical element in this exercise of predicting poverty overtime is the stability of the parameters that determine...... household consumption. We find that the assumption of stable consumption determinants does not hold for Mozambique during the time period examined. We also examine what drives the resulting predicted poverty statistics. The paper then considers the policy implications of these findings for Mozambique...

Projecting Poverty at the Household Scale to Assess the Impact of Climate Change on Poor People

Science.gov (United States)

Hallegatte, S.; Rozenberg, J.

2015-12-01

This paper quantifies the potential impacts of climate change on poverty in 2030 and 2050, in 92 countries covering 90% of the developing world population. It accounts for the deep uncertainties that characterize future socio-economic evolutions and the lack of data regarding the condition and livelihood of poor people. It also considers many impacts of climate change, another source of uncertainty. We use a micro-simulation model based on household surveys and explore a wide range of uncertainties on future structural change, productivity growth or demographic changes. This results, for each country, in the creation of several hundred scenarios for future income growth and income distribution. We then explore the resulting space of possible futures and use scenario discovery techniques to identify the main drivers of inequalities and poverty reduction. We find that redistribution and structural change are powerful drivers of poverty and inequality reduction, except in low-income countries. In the poorest countries in Africa, reducing poverty cannot rely on redistribution but requires low population growth and productivity growth in agriculture. Once we have explored the space of possible outcomes for poverty and inequalities, we choose two representative scenarios of the best and worst cases and model the impacts of climate change in each of these two scenarios. Climate change impacts are modeled through 4 channels. First, climate change has an impact on labor productivity growth for people who work outside because of higher temperatures. Second, climate change has an impact on human capital because of more severe stunting in some places. Third, climate change has an impact on physical capital via more frequent natural disasters. Fourth, climate change has an impact on consumption because of changes in food prices. Impacts are very heterogeneous across countries and are mostly concentrated in African and South-East Asian countries. For high radiative forcing (RCP8

[Social classes and poverty].

Science.gov (United States)

Benach, Joan; Amable, Marcelo

2004-05-01

Social classes and poverty are two key social determinants fundamental to understand how disease and health inequalities are produced. During the 90's in Spain there has been a notable oscillation in the inequality and poverty levels, with an increase in the middle of the decade when new forms of social exclusion, high levels of unemployment and great difficulties in accessing the labour market, especially for those workers with less resources, emerged. Today society is still characterized by a clear social stratification and the existence of social classes with a predominance of high levels of unemployment and precarious jobs, and where poverty is an endemic social problem much worse than the EU average. To diminish health inequalities and to improve the quality of life will depend very much on the reduction of the poverty levels and the improvement of equal opportunities and quality of employment. To increase understanding of how social class and poverty affect public health, there is a need to improve the quality of both information and research, and furthermore planners and political decision makers must take into account those determinants when undertaking disease prevention and health promotion.

Connecting political economies of energy in South Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buescher, Bram

2009-01-01

The South African energy debate is and will remain a heated one. Given South Africa's history of racial inequality and contemporary concerns around sustainability, much of it rightly focuses on the links between energy, poverty and the environment. Yet, many contributions to the (mainstream) debate seem to have a somewhat one-sided focus that might hamper rather than stimulate the understanding of these links. They either display a strong technical, quantitative bias and/or lean towards rather simplistic ideas about policy processes and dynamics. The article argues that many of these analyses could benefit greatly from a critical focus on the political economy of energy: the political-economic power structures that influence both many energy policies and the issues of energy equality and sustainability. Two major global developments emphasise the importance of this focus: the recent financial crisis and South Africa's role in the increasingly tense geopolitics of energy in Africa. The article concludes with some suggestions on how currently disparate political economies of energy could be better connected.

Connecting political economies of energy in South Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buescher, Bram [Institute of Social Studies, Kortenaerkade 12, 2518 AX The Hague (Netherlands); Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg (South Africa)

2009-10-15

The South African energy debate is and will remain a heated one. Given South Africa's history of racial inequality and contemporary concerns around sustainability, much of it rightly focuses on the links between energy, poverty and the environment. Yet, many contributions to the (mainstream) debate seem to have a somewhat one-sided focus that might hamper rather than stimulate the understanding of these links. They either display a strong technical, quantitative bias and/or lean towards rather simplistic ideas about policy processes and dynamics. The article argues that many of these analyses could benefit greatly from a critical focus on the political economy of energy: the political-economic power structures that influence both many energy policies and the issues of energy equality and sustainability. Two major global developments emphasise the importance of this focus: the recent financial crisis and South Africa's role in the increasingly tense geopolitics of energy in Africa. The article concludes with some suggestions on how currently disparate political economies of energy could be better connected. (author)

Including health insurance in poverty measurement: The impact of Massachusetts health reform on poverty.

Science.gov (United States)

Korenman, Sanders D; Remler, Dahlia K

2016-12-01

We develop and implement what we believe is the first conceptually valid health-inclusive poverty measure (HIPM) - a measure that includes health care or insurance in the poverty needs threshold and health insurance benefits in family resources - and we discuss its limitations. Building on the Census Bureau's Supplemental Poverty Measure, we construct a pilot HIPM for the under-65 population under ACA-like health reform in Massachusetts. This pilot demonstrates the practicality, face validity and value of a HIPM. Results suggest that public health insurance benefits and premium subsidies accounted for a substantial, one-third reduction in the health inclusive poverty rate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Poverty and Vulnerability - An Interdisciplinary Approach

OpenAIRE

Makoka, Donald; Kaplan, Marcus

2005-01-01

This paper describes the concepts of poverty and vulnerability as well as the interconnections and differences between them using an interdisciplinary approach. While poverty is a static concept, vulnerability has a forward-looking dimension. We, therefore, review the methodologies that different disciplines use to measure poverty and vulnerability. In particular, the differences between vulnerability to natural disasters, vulnerability to climate change, as well as vulnerability to poverty a...

Education for the Eradication of Poverty

OpenAIRE

C.I. Oriahi; A.O. Aitufe

2010-01-01

This study examines the possible education for the eradication of poverty in Nigeria. It defines poverty as a state pf shortage or deficiency of meeting basic needs. Majors causes of poverty are overpopulation, illiteracy, unemployment, environmental degradation and government insensitive to the welfare of the people. Effects of poverty include homelessness, malnutrition and starvation, illness, crime, violence and antisocial behaviour like Internet Fraud (Yahoo business) and Advance Fee Frau...

Exposure to Poverty and Productivity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricio S Dalton

Full Text Available We study whether exposure to poverty can induce affective states that decrease productivity. In a controlled laboratory setting, we find that subjects randomly assigned to a treatment, in which they view a video featuring individuals that live in extreme poverty, exhibit lower subsequent productivity compared to subjects assigned to a control treatment. Questionnaire responses, as well as facial recognition software, provide quantitative measures of the affective state evoked by the two treatments. Subjects exposed to images of poverty experience a more negative affective state than those in the control treatment. Further analysis shows that individuals in a more positive emotional state exhibit less of a treatment effect. Also, those who exhibit greater attentiveness upon viewing the poverty video are less productive. The results are consistent with the notion that exposure to poverty can induce a psychological state in individuals that adversely affects productivity.

Exposure to Poverty and Productivity

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

We study whether exposure to poverty can induce affective states that decrease productivity. In a controlled laboratory setting, we find that subjects randomly assigned to a treatment, in which they view a video featuring individuals that live in extreme poverty, exhibit lower subsequent productivity compared to subjects assigned to a control treatment. Questionnaire responses, as well as facial recognition software, provide quantitative measures of the affective state evoked by the two treatments. Subjects exposed to images of poverty experience a more negative affective state than those in the control treatment. Further analysis shows that individuals in a more positive emotional state exhibit less of a treatment effect. Also, those who exhibit greater attentiveness upon viewing the poverty video are less productive. The results are consistent with the notion that exposure to poverty can induce a psychological state in individuals that adversely affects productivity. PMID:28125621

Trade networks in West Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Walther, Olivier

2014-01-01

To date, most of the literature on trade networks in West Africa has considered networks in a metaphorical way. The aim of this paper is to go one step further by showing how social network analysis may be applied to the study of regional trade in West Africa. After a brief review of the literature......, this exploratory paper investigates two main issues related to regional trade. We start by discussing how recent developments in regional trade in West Africa have contributed to challenging the social structure of traders. We then discuss the changes that have affected the spatiality of regional trade by looking...

The Promise of Economic-Integration: Examining the Relationships among School Poverty, Individual Poverty, and Reasoning Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Michelle

2016-01-01

This study examines the relationships between school poverty status, family income status, and reasoning ability for the purpose of understanding the role of school poverty on reasoning skills. Cognitive ability scores of students attending mixed-poverty schools were compared to their counterparts attending institutions with low, high, and extreme…

Energy Poverty in Europe: A Multidimensional Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlo Andrea Bollino

2017-12-01

Full Text Available With the European Commission’s “Third Energy Package”, the challenges posed by energy poverty have been recently acknowledged by European legislation. The paper develops a synthetic indicator of energy poverty for the purpose of assessing households’ well-being across different domains of inequality in access to energy services and to a healthy domestic environment. These dimensions are broadly defined in terms of energy affordability and thermal efficiency, two of the main manifestations of energy poverty. The analysis focuses on Europe and expands on existing economic literature by employing a fuzzy analysis for the definition of a multidimensional energy poverty index, which is then used to investigate the role of individual and household characteristics in shaping energy poverty. We find that during the European crisis energy poverty has been more stable than monetary poverty, and that thermal efficiency plays a crucial role in shaping individual and countries’ average degrees of energy poverty. JEL codes: I32; Q41; D10; D63

Attitudes towards poverty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrzej Derdziuk

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Poverty, perceived as a lack of basic consumer goods, gives rise to a whole range of outcomes which affect not only the material dimension of human existence, but also influence social relations and references to spiritual values. Attitudes which could be associated with involuntary and unacceptable poverty include: doubt in the Divine Providence, bitterness, jealousy and envy, blaming others, lack of gratitude and in perceiving good, laziness, lack of initiative, escalating demands, gluttony and greed as well as meanness. However, joy, peace, freedom and solidarity with the poor, as well as work and enterprise, are symptoms of evangelical attitudes of the poor in spirit. Attitudes to poverty point to a wide range of human behaviours towards possessions and in effect, reveal an individual’s sense of value.

The Race of Nimble Fingers: Changing Patterns of Children's Work in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, Susan

2011-01-01

This article considers the socioeconomic changes that have impacted on the lives of poor children since the end of apartheid in South Africa. In particular, the article highlights the ways in which child labour legislation after 1994 has had the unintended consequence of deepening chronic hunger and childhood poverty on food-rich farms where…

Assessing the extent and intensity of energy poverty using Multidimensional Energy Poverty Index: Empirical evidence from households in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadath, Anver C.; Acharya, Rajesh H.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we have made a comprehensive assessment of the extent and various socio-economic implications of energy poverty in India. Amartya Sens's capability approach to development underpins the analysis of household-level data taken from the India Human Development Survey-II (IHDS-II), 2011-12 using the Multidimensional Energy Poverty Index (MEPI). The overall results show that energy poverty is widespread in India and the existence of energy poverty also coincides with the other forms of deprivations such as income poverty and social backwardness. For example, Dalits (Lower Caste) and Adivasis (Tribal) are found to be extremely energy poor compared to the other social groups in India. The results also reveal that it is the responsibility of women to manage the domestic chores such as collection of firewood and making of dung cake in traditional Indian households. Inefficient use of such biomass fuels is found to cause health hazards. - Highlights: • Energy poverty in India is assessed based on Multidimensional Energy Poverty Index (MEPI). • Energy poverty is widespread in India with large geographical variation across states. • Energy poverty coincides with socioeconomic backwardness of people. • Energy poverty is associated with health hazards like Asthma and Tuberculosis. • Access to energy may increase labor market participation of women.

Poverty and Aspirations Failure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dalton, P.S.; Ghosal, S.; Mani, A.

2011-01-01

We develop a theoretical framework to study the psychology of poverty and 'aspirations failure'. In our framework, the rich and the poor share the same preferences - and also a behavioral bias in setting aspirations. Greater downside risks imposed by poverty exacerbates the effects of this

Africa - Up in smoke? The second report from the Working Group on Climate Change and Development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simms, A.; Reid, H.; Murphy, M.

2005-06-01

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that the effects of climate change are expected to be greatest in developing countries in terms of loss of life and relative effects on investment and economy. Africa is considered as the continent most vulnerable to the impacts of projected change because widespread poverty limits adaptation capabilities. Small-scale farming provides most of the food produced in Africa, as well as employment for 70% of working people. These simple facts, coupled with farming being overwhelmingly dependent on direct rainfall, mean that Africa is exceptionally vulnerable to the uncertainties and weather extremes of global warming. But a vulnerable agricultural system is not the only problem. The continent is more exposed to the impacts of climate change than many other regions in the world. Its high sensitivity to climate is exacerbated by other factors such as widespread poverty, recurrent droughts and floods, an immediate daily dependence on natural resources and biodiversity, a heavy disease burden, and the numerous conflicts that have engulfed the continent. There are further complications introduced by an unjust international trade system and the burden of unpayable debt. All these factors call for a new model of development in which strategies to increase human resilience in the face of climate change and the stability of ecosystems are central. It calls for a new test on every policy and project. Above all, the challenge calls for a new flexibility and not a one-size-fits-all, neo-liberal-driven approach to development. As this Report observes, just as an investment portfolio spreads risk by including a variety of stocks and shares, so an agricultural system geared to manage the risks of changing climate requires a rich diversity of approaches in terms of what is grown, and how it is grown. But, even where the links to climate change are under-appreciated, Africa is a continent only too aware of the threat of

Poverty in India: concepts,measurement and status

OpenAIRE

More, Sachin; Singh, Narendra

2014-01-01

Poverty is a major hurdle of inclusive economic growth in any country. Thus eradication of poverty is become one of the important objectives of Government programme especially for developing country like India. To effectively design and execute the poverty eradication programme, government has to describe the meaning of poverty and explain how they can measure it. This paper brings together movement in the meaning of term poverty used by Government of India over the year and its measurement....

ADAPTATION TO POVERTY IN LONG-RUN PANEL DATA.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Andrew E; D'Ambrosio, Conchita; Ghislandi, Simone

2016-07-01

We consider the link between poverty and subjective well-being and focus in particular on potential adaptation to poverty. We use panel data on almost 54,000 individuals living in Germany from 1985 to 2012 to show, first, that life satisfaction falls with both the incidence and intensity of contemporaneous poverty. We then reveal that there is little evidence of adaptation within a poverty spell: poverty starts bad and stays bad in terms of subjective well-being. We cannot identify any cause of poverty entry that explains the overall lack of poverty adaptation.

Development theory and poverty. A review

OpenAIRE

Francesco Farina

2015-01-01

This review article presents the evolution of development theory during the XX century, the measurement of poverty, the concept and the indices of multidimensional poverty. A special focus concerns the complex linkages between income inequality, poverty and institutions during the growth process of developing countries.

Where are we heading with HIV / AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa? The status and trends of HIV / AIDS / STD epidemics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerkhoven, R

1998-02-01

By the end of 1997, an estimated 20.8 million people in sub-Saharan Africa were infected with HIV, 68% of all HIV infections. At the Tenth Annual International Conference on STDs and AIDS in Africa held in Abidjan in 1997, the MAP network continued its series of pre-conference symposia on the shape and status of HIV/AIDS in the various continents. The outcome of the Abidjan symposium was then published in a provisional report made available to the main conference's participants. The main conclusions of the symposium with regard to the following areas and subjects are presented: West Africa, Central Africa, the Horn of Africa, Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, life expectancy, HIV/AIDS and STDs, data, determinants of the spread of HIV, the relative importance of determinants, poverty, understanding determinants, the national response, children and the spread of HIV, and the future.

Why is control of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa poor?

OpenAIRE

Seedat, YK

2015-01-01

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in 2010, hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure ? 115 mmHg) was the leading cause of death, increasing 67% since 1990. It was also the sixth leading cause of disability, contributing more than 11 million adjusted life years. In SSA, stroke was the main outcome of uncontrolled hypertension. Poverty is the major underlying factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. This article analyses the causes of poor compliance in the treatment of hypertension...

Lack of focus on cardiovascular disease in sub-Saharan Africa

OpenAIRE

Mocumbi, Ana Olga

2012-01-01

Research into cardiovascular disease in Sub-Saharan Africa has been hampered by lack of funding and expertise. However, hospital- and community-based data reveal high economic and social costs of these diseases to the national health services and the communities, with the region facing a mixed burden of diseases related to poverty and infections, emergence of risk factors and diseases of affluence, as well as new cardiovascular problems caused by the HIV/AIDS epidemics. The availability of ec...

AIDS in Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Mokhobo, D

1989-03-01

Numerous cultural practices and attitudes in Africa represent formidable obstacles to the prevention of the further spread of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Polygamy and concubinage are still widely practiced throughout Africa. In fact, sexual promiscuity on the part of males is traditionally viewed as positive--a reflection of male supremacy and male sexual prowess. The disintegration of the rural African family, brought about by urbanization, the migrant labor system, and poverty, has resulted in widespread premarital promiscuity. Contraceptive practices are perceived by many as a white conspiracy aimed at limiting the growth of the black population and thereby diminishing its political power. Condom use is particularly in disfavor. Thus, AIDS prevention campaigns urging Africans to restrict the number of sexual partners and to use condoms are unlikely to be successful. Another problem is that most Africans cannot believe that AIDS is sexually linked in that the disease does not affect the sex organs as is the case with other sexually transmitted diseases. The degree to which African governments are able to allocate resources to AIDS education will determine whether the epidemic can be controlled. Even with a massive outpouring of resources, it may be difficult to arouse public alarm about AIDS since Africans are so acclimated to living with calamities of every kind.

Pediatric HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa: emerging issues and way ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conclusion: HIV infected children and their families in sub-Saharan Africa face myriad of complex medical and psychosocial issues. A holistic health promotional approach is being advocated as the required step for eradication of pediatric HIV in Africa. Keywords: Pediatric HIV, sub-Saharan Africa, Challenges.

Poverty and development thinking:synthesis or uneasy compromise?

OpenAIRE

David Hulme

2013-01-01

Abstract This paper examines how the concept of poverty has waxed and waned within development thought and how these fluctuations have shaped development policy and action towards, or away from, direct goals of poverty reduction or eradication. It provides an overview of poverty in social thought; examines the contestations over how poverty analysis is positioned in development theory; charts the conceptual contestations around poverty; presents a brief history of poverty in development thoug...

Local Agenda 21 and poverty

OpenAIRE

Palmans, Eva; Marysse, Stefaan

2003-01-01

Poverty, the increasing urbanisation of poverty and the environmental degradation are major problems facing the actual world. This is reflected in international conferences and agendas, such as Local Agenda 21. This agenda is responding to the current problems by promoting sustainable development through local action and by using participatory methods. Our major concern is to reflect on the impact of the Local Agenda 21 on the reduction of poverty in a Third World context.

Subjective poverty line definitions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. Flik; B.M.S. van Praag (Bernard)

1991-01-01

textabstractIn this paper we will deal with definitions of subjective poverty lines. To measure a poverty threshold value in terms of household income, which separates the poor from the non-poor, we take into account the opinions of all people in society. Three subjective methods will be discussed

Burden of end-stage renal disease in sub-Saharan Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Naicker, S

2010-11-01

To review prevalence, causes and management of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Review of literature and data. Approximately 70% of the least developed countries of the world are in SSA. Rapid urbanization is occurring in many parts of the continent, contributing to overcrowding and poverty. While infections and parasitic diseases are still the leading cause of death in Africa, non-communicable diseases are coming to the forefront. There is a continuing "brain drain" of healthcare workers (physicians and nurses) from Africa to more affluent regions. There are large rural areas of Africa that have no health professionals to serve these populations. There are no nephrologists in many parts of SSA; the numbers vary from 0.5 per million population (pmp) in Kenya to 0.6 pmp in Nigeria, 0.7 pmp in Sudan and 1.1 pmp in South Africa. Chronic kidney disease affects mainly young adults aged 20 - 50 years in SSA and is primarily due to hypertension and glomerular diseases. HIV- related glomerular disease often presents late, with patients requiring dialysis. Diabetes mellitus affects 9.4 million people in Africa. The prevalence of diabetic nephropathy is estimated to be 6 - 16% in SSA. The current dialysis treatment rate is Africa, Nigeria, Mauritius and Ghana, with most of the transplants being living donor transplants, except in South Africa where the majority are from deceased donors. Chronic kidney disease care is especially challenging in SSA, with large numbers of ESRD patients, inadequate facilities, funding and support.

Growth and poverty reduction in Tanzania

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arndt, Channing; Demery, Lionel; McKay, Andy

. The household survey data documents a limited reduction in consumption poverty over the period, and what poverty reduction there has been has mostly occurred in Dar es Salaam. Indicators of non-monetary poverty have gradually improved over the past 20 years but significant differences across the country remain....

Challenges in meeting biomass energy needs in West Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dianka, M. [GAA/RPTES, Dakar (Senegal)

2001-07-01

Biomass energy represents conciderable potential for West Africa. However, the traditional methods of tapping into this biomass have not only had grave consequences for the environment, but have only been able to partially resolve the crucial issue of how to sustainably supply households with domestic fuels. Nevertheless, recent progress made in the improvement of technologies enhancing biomass energy provides a glimpse at interesting perspectives fostering the modernisating and better assesment of the biocombustible and biofuel industries. Reflection conducted over these past years by a group of African experts, brought together around the ASG at the instigation of the RPTES Programme and founded on a new approach to forest resource management, illustrates the attention public powers are granting increasingly to biomass energy, which had been relegated to the back burner for so long, to the benefit of more 'conventional' energy sources. Considering the complexity of biomass energy issues, and their direct links to poverty, it is evident that isolated actions will never succeed in solving the problems currently faced. Thus it is essential to promote regional collaboration and partnerships for more effective actions and to capitalise on experiences, with the aim of ensuring sustainable development for the continent of Africa. Today, given the economic potential of more than US$6 billion generated by African forests, this implies the introduction of sustainable strategies which will result in increasing incomes and improving welfare in general. West Africa, masthead of the continent, will certainly not be an isolated case. Consequently, vigorous action supporting the sustainable management of natural resources as part of poverty alleviation programmes should be undertaken post-haste, in compliance with the Abuja Treaty establishing the African Economic Community. (au)

Poverty in Mexico in the 1990s

OpenAIRE

Salas, Jesus Manuel

2003-01-01

This paper explores poverty trends in Mexico during the 1990's using three different definitions of poverty. The paper then uses poverty convergence analysis to explore the pre-crisis (1992-1994), the crisis (1994-1996), and the recovery periods (1996-1998). Finally, the paper incorporates a regional analysis in order to examine these poverty effects in greater detail.

African agricultural subsidy impacts food security, poverty, drought tolerance, and environmental quality

Science.gov (United States)

Galford, G. L.; Palm, C.; DeFries, R. S.; Nziguheba, G.; Droppelmann, K.; Nkonya, E.; Michelson, H.; Clark, C.; Kathewera, F.; Walsh, M.

2011-12-01

Malawi has spearheaded an unprecedented policy change in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) since 2005 when it started a widespread agricultural inputs subsidy program (AISP) targeting small farmer maize production with mineral fertilizer and improved seeds. Since then, the mean N fertilizer load has increased significantly, from ~ 0 to a modest 35 kg N/ha or 7 times greater than SSA's average 5 kg N/ha average. During the tenure of AISP, Malawi has transitioned from a food aid recipient to an exporter. Maize yields each year of AISP are double the long-term average (0.8 tons/ha/yr, 1960-2005). In 2007, subsidy inputs combined with good rains led to of an unprecedented increase in national average yields of 2.7 tons/ha. National-scale assessments covering, agriculture, poverty, and environment such as this one are required to understand the trade-offs between development, climate and the environment. Environmentally, N2O emissions from fertilizer are a concern. First order estimates put emissions from AISP fertilizers at 2,600 Mg N2O/year (0.81 Tg CO2-e). While globally insignificant, these emissions may be equivalent to 16% of Malawi's annual fossil fuel and deforestation emissions. However, our partial nutrient budgets indicate that crop removal is still higher than N applied and therefore little loss of N to the environment is expected. Mineral fertilizers are a rapid first step to increase soil N after 40 years of serious depletion. Once restored, the soils will support robust agroforestry and other forms of organic inputs produced on-farm. Fertilizer use increases carbon sequestration on agricultural soils and reduces pressure to clear forests, which may partially compensate for the N2O emissions. We find evidence that AISP significantly increases food security and mitigates the impacts of drought on maize production. This is the first work linking the distribution of fertilizer subsidies to local crop yields using government records, remotely-sensed time series of

Inequality, income, and poverty: comparative global evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Fosu, Augustin Kwasi

2010-01-01

Objectives. The study seeks to provide comparative global evidence on the role of income inequality, relative to income growth, in poverty reduction.Methods. An analysis-of-covariance model is estimated using a large global sample of 1980–2004 unbalanced panel data, with the headcount measure of poverty as the dependent variable, and the Gini coefficient and PPP-adjusted mean income as explanatory variables. Both random-effects and fixed-effects methods are employed in the estimation.Results. The responsiveness of poverty to income is a decreasing function of inequality, and the inequality elasticity of poverty is actually larger than the income elasticity of poverty. Furthermore, there is a large variation across regions (and countries) in the relative effects of inequality on poverty.Conclusion. Income distribution plays a more important role than might be traditionally acknowledged in poverty reduction, though this importance varies widely across regions and countries.

The Global Economic Crisis: Impact on Sub-Saharan Africa and Global Policy Responses

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-06

financial assistance to Africa is provided through the IMF’s concessional lending facilities, the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility ( PRGF ) and...Notes: Amounts are the total amount of outstanding PRGF and ESF loans to African countries at the end of April for each year...Report RS22534, The Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative, by Martin A. Weiss. 107 PRGF loans are intended to help low-income countries address

Poverty and aspirations failure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dalton, P.S.; Ghosal, S.; Mani, A.

We develop a theoretical framework to study the psychology of poverty and ‘aspirations failure’, defined as the failure to aspire to one’s own potential. In our framework, rich and the poor persons share the same preferences and same behavioral bias in setting aspirations. We show that poverty can

Rethinking Education and Poverty

Science.gov (United States)

Tierney, William G., Ed.

2015-01-01

In "Rethinking Education and Poverty," William G. Tierney brings together scholars from around the world to examine the complex relationship between poverty and education in the twenty first century. International in scope, this book assembles the best contemporary thinking about how education can mediate class and improve the lives of…

Research-policy partnerships - experiences of the Mental Health and Poverty Project in Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirzoev, Tolib N; Omar, Maye A; Green, Andrew T; Bird, Philippa K; Lund, Crick; Ofori-Atta, Angela; Doku, Victor

2012-09-14

Partnerships are increasingly common in conducting research. However, there is little published evidence about processes in research-policy partnerships in different contexts. This paper contributes to filling this gap by analysing experiences of research-policy partnerships between Ministries of Health and research organisations for the implementation of the Mental Health and Poverty Project in Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. A conceptual framework for understanding and assessing research-policy partnerships was developed and guided this study. The data collection methods for this qualitative study included semi-structured interviews with Ministry of Health Partners (MOHPs) and Research Partners (RPs) in each country. The term partnership was perceived by the partners as a collaboration involving mutually-agreed goals and objectives. The principles of trust, openness, equality and mutual respect were identified as constituting the core of partnerships. The MOHPs and RPs had clearly defined roles, with the MOHPs largely providing political support and RPs leading the research agenda. Different influences affected partnerships. At the individual level, personal relationships and ability to compromise within partnerships were seen as important. At the organisational level, the main influences included the degree of formalisation of roles and responsibilities and the internal structures and procedures affecting decision-making. At the contextual level, political environment and the degree of health system decentralisation affected partnerships. Several lessons can be learned from these experiences. Taking account of influences on the partnership at individual, organisation and contextual/system levels can increase its effectiveness. A common understanding of mutually-agreed goals and objectives of the partnership is essential. It is important to give attention to the processes of initiating and maintaining partnerships, based on clear roles, responsibilities

Moving past the rhetoric: Policy considerations that can make Sino-African relations to improve Africa's climate change resilience and the attainment of the sustainable development goals

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Dumisani Chirambo

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Climate change is a threat to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs in sub-Saharan Africa as its impacts can lead to increased incidences of poverty and inequality which can subsequently lead to a 12% decline in the Human Development Index (HDI for sub-Saharan Africa. Emerging countries such as China have the potential to support Africa to achieve the SDGs by pioneering South–South Climate Finance (SSCF modalities. In order to increase knowledge on climate informed development and the role of China in global climate governance, the paper examined various research articles, case studies, policy briefs and project reports. Sino-African aid, investments and trade were noted as essential in mitigating Africa's climate change vulnerabilities which induce poverty traps and inequality. Some African countries were noted to have a comparative advantage in environmental standards over China but lacked the initiative to use this comparative advantage to enhance the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC and assist China to have a sustainable growth trajectory. The paper concludes that SSCF modalities can enhance climate risk management in Africa if they focus on improving financial inclusion and improving climate finance flows towards climate change adaptation activities in Africa. Additionally, to increase the effectiveness and impact of Chinese climate finance support to Africa, African policymakers should not allow political and market forces to decide how climate related support from China should be allocated as decisions based on political and market forces could potentially promote an inequitable distribution of funds and ignore the most vulnerable countries and regions.

Energy, growth and sustainable development - An African equation. The Sub-Saharan Africa programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heuraux, Christine; Guinebault, Alain; Auge, Benjamin; Ouedraogo, Lassane; Keita, Seydou; Gemenne, Francois

2010-01-01

transition. The fifth contribution discusses access to services as a factor of poverty reduction, notably in the case of Mali and within the strategic framework for poverty reduction. The author discusses some specific features of the Malian energy system, how energy is taken into account in the strategic framework, is a factor of development of production activities, is related to basic social services (education, health, water). He also comments the strategy of development of rural electrification and the obtained results. The last contribution comments the role left to Africa in international negotiations on climate

Estimation of undernutrition and mean calorie intake in Africa: methodology, findings and implications

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Nubé Maarten

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background As poverty and hunger are basic yardsticks of underdevelopment and destitution, the need for reliable statistics in this domain is self-evident. While the measurement of poverty through surveys is relatively well documented in the literature, for hunger, information is much scarcer, particularly for adults, and very different methodologies are applied for children and adults. Our paper seeks to improve on this practice in two ways. One is that we estimate the prevalence of undernutrition in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA for both children and adults based on anthropometric data available at province or district level, and secondly, we estimate the mean calorie intake and implied calorie gap for SSA, also using anthropometric data on the same geographical aggregation level. Results Our main results are, first, that we find a much lower prevalence of hunger than presented in the Millennium Development reports (17.3% against 27.8% for the continent as a whole. Secondly, we find that there is much less spread in mean calorie intake across the continent than reported by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO in the State of Food and Agriculture, 2007, the only estimate that covers the whole of Africa. While FAO estimates for calorie availability vary from a low of 1760 Kcal/capita/day for Central Africa to a high of 2825 Kcal/capita/day for Southern Africa, our estimates lay in a range of 2245 Kcal/capita/day (Eastern Africa to 2618 Kcal/capita/day for Southern Africa. Thirdly, we validate the main data sources used (the Demographic and Health Surveys by comparing them over time and with other available data sources for various countries. Conclusion We conclude that the picture of Africa that emerges from anthropometric data is much less negative than that usually presented. Especially for Eastern and Central Africa, the nutritional status is less critical than commonly assumed and also mean calorie intake is higher, which implies

Indicators System for Poverty Measurement

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Constantin Mitrut

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Poverty represents a life aspect which is focusing the attention of both the macroeconomic analysis and the international comparisons. In order to measure the level being recorded by this phenomenon, there is a system of indicators which are used in order to underline, in a correlated manner, a number of aspects which are characterizing, quality and quantity wise, the evolution of the poverty in a specific country or, to a larger extent, through comparative surveys, at international level. Despite the fact that they are not the only instrument being used within the process of comparison of the stages of social and economic development at the international level, however the poverty indicators are providing a clear significance to the worked out surveys. In fact, the very purpose of the economic activity consists of increasing welfare and, as much as possible, at least reducing, if not eradicating, the poverty. The present work is broadly presenting the methodology as well as, both theoretical and practical, the way of computing the poverty, making a synthesis of the specific used indicators.

Poverty, health, and nutrition in Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Helmert, U; Mielck, A; Shea, S

1997-01-01

To investigate the relation between poverty and several variables describing health and nutrition behavior in East Germany and West Germany. Data are from the third National Health Survey in West Germany and the first Health Survey for the new federal states of Germany (1991/92). Both health surveys included a self-administered questionnaire ascertaining sociodemographic variables, smoking history, nutritional behavior (using a food-frequency list), physical activity, and a medical examination comprising measurements of height, weight, blood pressure, and blood sampling for serum cholesterol determination. Participants included 4958 subjects in the West Survey and 2186 subjects in the East Survey aged 25-69 years, with a respective net response rate of 69.0% and 70.2%. Poverty was defined as a household equivalence income of 62.5% or less of the median income of the general population. The lowest income group (poverty or near poverty) comprised 11.6% of East German versus 15.9% of West German males and 14.8% of East German versus 19.3% of West German females. For most but not all health and nutrition parameters, less favorable results were obtained for subjects with an equivalence income below or near poverty. The most striking poverty-related differences regarding cardiovascular disease risk factors were found for lack of regular exercise for both genders and obesity in females. No poverty-related differences were found for the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, despite a much higher prevalence of obesity in persons with an income below the poverty line. Current nutritional behavior and changes in nutritional behavior during the last three years was strongly related to income status, with a more unhealthy status for low-income population groups in both East and West Germany. In Germany, poverty has strong effects on individual health status and nutritional behavior. Because of rising unemployment rates and reductions in social security payments for low

Can AIDS stigma be reduced to poverty stigma? Exploring Zimbabwean children's representations of poverty and AIDS

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, C; Skovdal, M; Mupambireyi, Z; Madanhire, C; Robertson, L; Nyamukapa, C A; Gregson, S

2012-01-01

Objective We use children's drawings to investigate social stigmatization of AIDS-affected and poverty-affected children by their peers, in the light of suggestions that the stigmatization of AIDS-affected children might derive more from the poverty experienced by these children than from their association with AIDS. Methods A qualitative study, in rural Zimbabwe, used draw-and-write techniques to elicit children's (10–12 years) representations of AIDS-affected children (n= 30) and poverty-affected children (n= 33) in 2009 and 2010 respectively. Results Representations of children affected by AIDS and by poverty differed significantly. The main problems facing AIDS-affected children were said to be the psychosocial humiliations of AIDS stigma and children's distress about sick relatives. Contrastingly, poverty-affected children were depicted as suffering from physical and material neglect and deprivation. Children affected by AIDS were described as caregivers of parents whom illness prevented from working. This translated into admiration and respect for children's active contribution to household survival. Poverty-affected children were often portrayed as more passive victims of their guardians' inability or unwillingness to work or to prioritize their children's needs, with these children having fewer opportunities to exercise agency in response to their plight. Conclusions The nature of children's stigmatization of their AIDS-affected peers may often be quite distinct from poverty stigma, in relation to the nature of suffering (primarily psychosocial and material respectively), the opportunities for agency offered by each affliction, and the opportunities each condition offers for affected children to earn the respect of their peers and community. We conclude that the particular nature of AIDS stigma offers greater opportunities for stigma reduction than poverty stigma. PMID:21985490

Can AIDS stigma be reduced to poverty stigma? Exploring Zimbabwean children's representations of poverty and AIDS.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, C; Skovdal, M; Mupambireyi, Z; Madanhire, C; Robertson, L; Nyamukapa, C A; Gregson, S

2012-09-01

We use children's drawings to investigate social stigmatization of AIDS-affected and poverty-affected children by their peers, in the light of suggestions that the stigmatization of AIDS-affected children might derive more from the poverty experienced by these children than from their association with AIDS. A qualitative study, in rural Zimbabwe, used draw-and-write techniques to elicit children's (10-12 years) representations of AIDS-affected children (n= 30) and poverty-affected children (n= 33) in 2009 and 2010 respectively. Representations of children affected by AIDS and by poverty differed significantly. The main problems facing AIDS-affected children were said to be the psychosocial humiliations of AIDS stigma and children's distress about sick relatives. Contrastingly, poverty-affected children were depicted as suffering from physical and material neglect and deprivation. Children affected by AIDS were described as caregivers of parents whom illness prevented from working. This translated into admiration and respect for children's active contribution to household survival. Poverty-affected children were often portrayed as more passive victims of their guardians' inability or unwillingness to work or to prioritize their children's needs, with these children having fewer opportunities to exercise agency in response to their plight. The nature of children's stigmatization of their AIDS-affected peers may often be quite distinct from poverty stigma, in relation to the nature of suffering (primarily psychosocial and material respectively), the opportunities for agency offered by each affliction, and the opportunities each condition offers for affected children to earn the respect of their peers and community. We conclude that the particular nature of AIDS stigma offers greater opportunities for stigma reduction than poverty stigma. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The impacts of climate change on poverty in 2030, and the potential from rapid, inclusive and climate-informed development

Science.gov (United States)

Rozenberg, J.; Hallegatte, S.

2016-12-01

There is a consensus on the fact that poor people are more vulnerable to climate change than the rest of the population, but, until recently, few quantified estimates had been proposed and few frameworks existed to design policies for addressing the issue. In this paper, we analyze the impacts of climate change on poverty using micro-simulation approaches. We start from household surveys that describe the current distribution of income and occupations, we project these households into the future and we look at the impacts of climate change on people's income. To project households into the future, we explore a large range of assumptions on future demographic changes (including on education), technological changes, and socio-economic trends (including redistribution policies). This approach allows us to identify the main combination of factors that lead to fast poverty reduction, and the ones that lead to high climate change impacts on the poor. Identifying these factors is critical for designing efficient policies to protect the poorest from climate change impacts and making economic growth more inclusive. Conclusions are twofold. First, by 2030 climate change can have a large impact on poverty, with between 3 and 122 million more people in poverty, but climate change remains a secondary driver of poverty trends within this time horizon. Climate change impacts do not only affect the poorest: in 2030, the bottom 40 percent lose more than 4 percent of income in many countries. The regional hotspots are Sub-Saharan Africa and - to a lesser extent - India and the rest of South Asia. The most important channel through which climate change increases poverty is through agricultural income and food prices. Second, by 2030 and in the absence of surprises on climate impacts, inclusive climate-informed development can prevent most of (but not all) the impacts on poverty. In a scenario with rapid, inclusive and climate-proof development, climate change impact on poverty is

Youth poverty and transition to adulthood in Europe

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Letizia Mencarini

2006-07-01

Full Text Available There is an increasing amount of research focussing on the transition to adulthood, a stage of the life cycle where young people face demanding life decisions, including completion of education, finding stable employment, and establishing their household and family. Whereas there is a well-developed literature on poverty among households in general, very little research has focused on poverty among young adults. Using the European Community Household Panel (ECHP we provide a detailed description of youth poverty in Europe. Across the European Union youth poverty varies greatly, being higher in Southern European countries, as well as in the 'liberal' regimes of the UK and Ireland. However, there are also large variations in the extent of youth poverty within countries, between what we might term "younger youth" (aged 16-19 and "older youth" aged (25-29. In the UK, poverty rates among "younger youth" are much higher than among "older youth", suggesting that poverty among young people is closely associated with child poverty. In the Scandinavian countries, poverty peaks dramatically in the early twenties, indicating that in these countries, poverty is associated with leaving home.

Why publishing the Journal of Public Health in Africa

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Vittorio Colizzi

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The population of sub-Saharan Africa faces global health challenges more than any other part of the world, bearing the brunt of tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS. This region already carries 24% of the global disease burden and the situation is made worst by the advent of noncommunicable diseases, such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, cancer and diabetes (just to name a few. Thus the need for African scientists to disseminate research data in order to alleviate the continent’s huge disease burden and help the frail health systems affected by poverty, underdevelopment, conflicts and poorly managed government agencies. In our opinion, the Journal of Public Health in Africa responds to the need for a communication system aimed at reaching the widest audience of professionals worldwide in a shorter time than traditional publishing [...

Poverty, disability and human rights

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Beatriz Martínez Ríos

2013-07-01

Full Text Available It is estimated that persons with disabilities represent 15% of the world population. There is a strong link between poverty and disability. Population with disabilities is among the most disadvantaged and discriminated. However, development economic theories have forgotten essential matters about this population, contributing towards their invisibility and poverty. The Capability Approach from a Human Rights based approach brings us a new dimension. The extraordinary costs that arise from a disability and from the psychological, physical and social barriers that persons with disabilities face, contribute to their poverty, lack of freedom and vulneration of human rights, as put forward by current studies on this subject. International co-operation becomes a very valuable tool to be used for the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities and overcoming poverty.

Brazil: from reduction of poverty to a commitment to eradicate extreme poverty

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Lena Lavinas

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to summarise certain positive results achieved by the Lula government in the sphere of social policy and to highlight the new challenges taken on by President Dilma Rousseff in terms of eradicating extreme poverty, after her first year in government. After Lula’s success with social policy, Rousseff has committed herself to eradicating extreme poverty over the short term (the four years of her mandate in a federation that is marked by weak links in cooperation, a distinct heterogeneity within the federated bodies and profound socio-economic inequality among citizens. Under Lula’s government, the factors that most helped to reduce poverty and inequality were the recovery of the minimum salary’s real value in rates higher than that of inflation, as well as an increase in formal employment, with the creation of approximately 12,000,000 jobs in eight years. For Dilma’s term of office, which began with a downturn in economic growth rates, an even bigger challenge lies ahead. In light of this, the article evaluates the prospects for success of Dilma’s government in terms of eradicating extreme poverty in Brazil.

Child Poverty: The United Kingdom Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Mansour, Jane G; Curran, Megan A

2016-04-01

The United States has long struggled with high levels of child poverty. In 2014, 2 of 5 (42.9%) of all American children lived in economically insecure households and just over 1 in 5 children lived below the official absolute poverty line. These rates are high, but not intractable. Evidence from the US Census Bureau's Supplemental Poverty Measure, among other sources, shows the effect that public investments in cash and noncash transfers can have in reducing child poverty and improving child well-being. However, with significant disparities in services and supports for children across states and the projected decline of current federal spending on children, the United States is an international outlier in terms of public investments in children, particularly compared with other high-income nations. One such country, the United Kingdom (UK), faced similar child poverty challenges in recent decades. At the end of the 20th century, the British Prime Minister pledged to halve child poverty in a decade and eradicate it 'within a generation.' The Labour Government then set targets and dedicated resources in the form of income supplements, employment, child care, and education support. Child poverty levels nearly halved against an absolute measure by the end of the first decade. Subsequent changes in government and the economy slowed progress and have resulted in a very different approach. However, the UK child poverty target experience, 15 years in and spanning multiple changes in government, still offers a useful comparative example for US social policy moving forward. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Data-Mining for Development? Poverty, Payment, and Platform

OpenAIRE

Maurer, WM

2015-01-01

Territories of Poverty challenges the conventional North-South geographies through which poverty scholarship is organized. Staging theoretical interventions that traverse social histories of the American welfare state and critical ethnographies of international development regimes, these essays confront how poverty is constituted as a problem. In the process, the book analyzes bureaucracies of poverty, poor people's movements, and global networks of poverty expertise, as well as more intimate...

Identifying Critical Nutrient Intake in Groups at Risk of Poverty in Europe: The CHANCE Project Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolić, Marina; Glibetić, Maria; Gurinović, Mirjana; Milešević, Jelena; Khokhar, Santosh; Chillo, Stefania; Abaravicius, Jonas Algis; Bordoni, Alessandra; Capozzi, Francesco

2014-01-01

The aim of the CHANCE project is to develop novel and affordable nutritious foods to optimize the diet and reduce the risk of diet-related diseases among groups at risk of poverty (ROP). This paper describes the methodology used in the two initial steps to accomplish the project’s objective as follows: 1. a literature review of existing data and 2. an identification of ROP groups with which to design and perform the CHANCE nutritional survey, which will supply new data that is useful for formulating the new CHANCE food. Based on the literature review, a low intake of fruit and vegetables, whole grain products, fish, energy, fiber, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and C, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and zinc and a high intake of starchy foods, processed meat and sodium were apparent. However, the available data appeared fragmented because of the different methodologies used in the studies. A more global vision of the main nutritional problems that are present among low-income people in Europe is needed, and the first step to achieve this goal is the use of common criteria to define the risk of poverty. The scoring system described here represents novel criteria for defining at-risk-of-poverty groups not only in the CHANCE-participating countries but also all over Europe. PMID:24699195

Identifying Critical Nutrient Intake in Groups at Risk of Poverty in Europe: The CHANCE Project Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina Nikolić

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of the CHANCE project is to develop novel and affordable nutritious foods to optimize the diet and reduce the risk of diet-related diseases among groups at risk of poverty (ROP. This paper describes the methodology used in the two initial steps to accomplish the project’s objective as follows: 1. a literature review of existing data and 2. an identification of ROP groups with which to design and perform the CHANCE nutritional survey, which will supply new data that is useful for formulating the new CHANCE food. Based on the literature review, a low intake of fruit and vegetables, whole grain products, fish, energy, fiber, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and C, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and zinc and a high intake of starchy foods, processed meat and sodium were apparent. However, the available data appeared fragmented because of the different methodologies used in the studies. A more global vision of the main nutritional problems that are present among low-income people in Europe is needed, and the first step to achieve this goal is the use of common criteria to define the risk of poverty. The scoring system described here represents novel criteria for defining at-risk-of-poverty groups not only in the CHANCE-participating countries but also all over Europe.

Identifying critical nutrient intake in groups at risk of poverty in Europe: the CHANCE project approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolić, Marina; Glibetić, Maria; Gurinović, Mirjana; Milešević, Jelena; Khokhar, Santosh; Chillo, Stefania; Abaravicius, Jonas Algis; Bordoni, Alessandra; Capozzi, Francesco

2014-04-02

The aim of the CHANCE project is to develop novel and affordable nutritious foods to optimize the diet and reduce the risk of diet-related diseases among groups at risk of poverty (ROP). This paper describes the methodology used in the two initial steps to accomplish the project's objective as follows: 1. a literature review of existing data and 2. an identification of ROP groups with which to design and perform the CHANCE nutritional survey, which will supply new data that is useful for formulating the new CHANCE food. Based on the literature review, a low intake of fruit and vegetables, whole grain products, fish, energy, fiber, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and C, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and zinc and a high intake of starchy foods, processed meat and sodium were apparent. However, the available data appeared fragmented because of the different methodologies used in the studies. A more global vision of the main nutritional problems that are present among low-income people in Europe is needed, and the first step to achieve this goal is the use of common criteria to define the risk of poverty. The scoring system described here represents novel criteria for defining at-risk-of-poverty groups not only in the CHANCE-participating countries but also all over Europe.

AgMIP: New Results from Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia Regional Integrated Assessments

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenzweig, C.

2014-12-01

AgMIP conducted the first set of comprehensive regional integrated assessments of climate change impacts on smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia led by researchers from the regions themselves. The project developed new methods integrating climate, crop, livestock and economic models to conduct climate change impact assessments that characterize impacts on smallholder groups. AgMIP projections of climate change impacts on agriculture are more realistic than previous assessments because they take agricultural development into account. Using the best available data and models, the assessments directly evaluated yield, income, and poverty outcomes including the effects of adaptation packages and development pathways. Results show that even with agricultural development, climate change generally will exert negative pressure on yields of smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Without adaptation, climate change leads to increased poverty in some locations in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia compared to a future in which climate change does not occur. Adaptation can significantly improve smallholder farmer responses to climate change. AgMIP expert teams identified improved varieties, sowing practices, fertilizer application, and irrigation applications as prioritized adaptation strategies. These targeted adaptation packages were able to overcome a portion of detrimental impacts but could not compensate completely in many locations. Even in cases where average impact is near zero, vulnerability (i.e., those at risk of loss) can be substantial even when mean impacts are positive.

Kosovo : Poverty assessment, Volume 1. Accelerating Inclusive Growth to Reduce Widespread Poverty

OpenAIRE

World Bank

2007-01-01

Poverty in Kosovo is widespread and has remained persistent in the first half of this decade. The evidence suggests that poverty is higher among those who live in families that are large, have many unemployed members, and have low education levels. The poor are also geographically concentrated in rural areas and a few regions. The main message of this report is that the slow and volatile g...

The Challenge of City-Level Data-Gathering for Implementing SDG 11 in Africa

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Elias, P. O.

2017-12-01

Implementing sustainable development goal 11 in Africa which includes measuring and monitoring social and economic welfare indicators at the city-level requires data of the best quality. In recent years, there have been progress in national statistics and censuses survey yet data gathering in many African countries are not accurate, timely, disaggregated and widely usable. This often diminish the capability of governments to tackle urban development challenges, which are particularly exacerbated by inequality, poverty and uncontrolled development especially in cities. To support knowledge driven decisions and policies there is need to improve data-gathering systems about health, education, and safety, economy and poverty, land, housing and environment, trade and commerce, population and demography. Also, the underlying dynamics, processes, distributions, patterns, trends or disparities inherent in African cities require the breaking down of aggregated data into their component parts or smaller units, which underscores urban data revolution towards achieving SDG 11. In Africa, the process of bringing together diverse data communities to embrace a diverse range of data sources, tools, and innovative technologies, to provide disaggregated data for decision-making, service delivery and citizen engagement is still emerging. Several factors are inhibiting urban data revolution and need to be overturned before we can provide more evidence, more data and more certainty for decision makers towards achieving urban development targets and sustainable cities for Africa. The paper examines the challenge of city-level data-gathering for implementing SDG 11 in Africa. Specifically, it examines the role of cities in implementing SDG 11 in Africa and the need to disaggregate data at city-level; it assesses existing data sources, compilation and dissemination channels as well as the challenges of deploying innovative techniques and strategies including digital and social media

Trade, Growth, and Poverty

OpenAIRE

Dollar, David; Kraay, Aart

2001-01-01

The evidence from individual cases and from cross-country analysis supports the view that globalization leads to faster growth and poverty reduction in poor countries. To determine the effect of globalization on growth, poverty, and inequality, the authors first identify a group of developing countries that are participating more in globalization. China, India, and several other large coun...

Marine and freshwater microplastic research in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Verster, Carina; Minnaar, Karin; Bouwman, Hindrik

2017-05-01

South Africa has a vibrant plastics manufacturing industry, but recycling is limited and insufficient with a notable proportion of the unmanaged waste entering the environment. South Africa is a developing country with microplastics research in its inception. Very little is known about freshwater microplastics, and studies on South African marine microplastics are limited but actively being pursued. In a water-scarce country, protection of freshwater resources remains a priority, but in the face of other socioeconomic issues (poverty, unemployment, and HIV/AIDS), it receives insufficiently effective attention. The full impact and risks of microplastics pollution in water is yet to be discovered. The risks may be enhanced in a developing country where many communities remain largely dependent on the land and natural waters. With South Africa being a water-scarce country, the quality of its aquatic resources is at an even greater risk with an assumed increasing background of microplastics, emphasizing the need for further research. A South African Water Research Commission-funded project is being undertaken to derive research priorities, but there is an immediate need for improved recycling and waste management. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:533-535. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

Exploring Differences in National and International Poverty Estimates: Is Uganda on Track to Halve Poverty by 2015?

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Levine, Sebastian

2012-01-01

This paper explores causes of differences in estimates of poverty incidence in Uganda since the early 1990s as measured by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics and the World Bank. While both sets of estimates from the two organisations show a declining trend in poverty incidence there are important differences in the levels of poverty, the speed of the…

Poverty and inequality issues in Albania: trends and determinants

OpenAIRE

Myftaraj (Tomori) Elena

2010-01-01

Poverty and inequality are complex and widespread phenomena. Poverty is an indicator and the main factor of inequality, so reduction of poverty is one of the biggest challenges for economic and social consolidation of a country. There are different concepts of poverty, in this paper we are focused on the concept of absolute poverty. The main objective of this paper is to conduct an analysis on the trends of poverty and inequality indicators, as well as an analysis on the reduction of poverty ...

Exploring the challenges of implementing Participatory Action Research in the context of HIV and poverty

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W.A. Rosenthal

2010-09-01

Full Text Available HIV/AIDS is having a devastating impact on South Africa and particularly on poor communities. Empowerment of communities has been identified as an important step towards mitigating the consequences and helping communities to overcome the challenges presented. Participatory Action Research (PAR has been identified as a useful methodology for the purpose of facilitating empowerment. This study explores the challenges involved in implementing PAR in the context of HIV/AIDS and poverty. In this article, the author describes a PAR project that took place in 2003/ 2004 with a group of five Xhosa speaking people living with HIV/AIDS in Masiphumelele, Cape Town. The aims of the study were to: 1. Create an opportunity for the participants to engage in a participatory process aimed at self-awareness and empowerment. 2. To record and analyse this process with the intention of producing insight into the use of PAR in the context of poverty and HIV/AIDS and to identify the challenges involved. The findings of this study highlight some important insights into the process of engaging people in the PAR process and the experiences of HIV positive people living in the context of poverty. The study explores the challenges involved in the process of empowerment and examines the process of “transferring” power and control from the researcher to the participants. Challenges were uncovered both from the point of view of the researcher who had to “let go of control” and participants who had to take on control. Participants struggled with issues of low self-efficacy and learned helplessness. Fluctuations in health also contributed towards alternating periods of hope and despair and these problems had an impact on their motivation to participate in the study. Lack of motivation to participate is a challenge highlighted in the literature and explored in this study. Participation is necessary for a study of this nature to be of benefit to the community, but

Impact of Mental Poverty on Rural Economic Development

OpenAIRE

Zhao, Lan-xiang

2011-01-01

This paper introduces the definition of mental poverty and the status quo of mental poverty in China's rural areas. Mental poverty in China's rural areas embodies the following aspects: the sense of parochialism is serious; the small farmer consciousness is strong; there is misgiving about identity. This paper analyses the reason of Mental poverty influencing farmers' behavior model and rural economic development. Mental poverty influences the farmers' changing current situation; Mental pover...

Opportunities and Challenges Facing NGOs Using Sport as a Vehicle for Development in Post-Apartheid South Africa

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Sanders, Ben; Phillips, Julie; Vanreusel, Bart

2014-01-01

Post-apartheid South Africa manifests poor social indicators with over half the population living below the poverty line and the worst levels of inequality in the world, with much work needed to overcome the skewed legacy of apartheid. Sport suffered in this system resulting in unequal access to sporting facilities and opportunities, meaning many…

An Asian poverty line? Issues and options

OpenAIRE

Klasen, Stephan

2016-01-01

Given Asia's record of rapid economic growth and the conceptual and empirical problems of the current international income poverty line ('dollar-a-day'), this paper discusses whether there is merit to develop an Asia-specific poverty line that addresses some of the shortcomings of the dollar-a-day line and additionally considers Asia's particular economic situation. We consider various ways of creating an Asia-specific poverty line, including an Asia-specific international income poverty line...

Poverty nutrition linkages.

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Ramachandran, Prema

2007-10-01

At the time of independence majority of Indians were poor. In spite of spending over 80 per cent of their income on food, they could not get adequate food. Living in areas of poor environmental sanitation they had high morbidity due to infections; nutrition toll due to infections was high because of poor access to health care. As a result, majority of Indians especially children were undernourished. The country initiated programmes to improve economic growth, reduce poverty, improve household food security and nutritional status of its citizens, especially women and children. India defined poverty on the basis of calorie requirement and focused its attention on providing subsidized food and essential services to people below poverty line. After a period of slow but steady economic growth, the last decade witnessed acceleration of economic growth. India is now one of the fastest growing economies in the world with gross domestic product (GDP) growth over 8 per cent. There has been a steady but slow decline in poverty; but last decade's rapid economic growth did not translate in to rapid decline in poverty. In 1970s, country became self sufficient in food production; adequate buffer stocks have been built up. Poor had access to subsidized food through the public distribution system. As a result, famines have been eliminated, though pockets of food scarcity still existed. Over the years there has been a decline in household expenditure on food due to availability of food grains at low cost but energy intake has declined except among for the poor. In spite of unaltered/declining energy intake there has been some reduction in undernutrition and increase in overnutrition in adults. This is most probably due to reduction in physical activity. Under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme food supplements are being provided to children, pregnant and lactating women in the entire country. In spite of these, low birth weight rates are still over 30 per

Urban IDPs and Poverty: Analysis of the Effect of Mass Forced Displacement on Urban Poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Nermin Oruc

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the effect of mass forced displacement on urban poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The process of displacement in Bosnia and Herzegovina involved “forced evictions”, implying no choice in displacement decision, meaning that this type of rural-urban migration was not a rational decision driven by economic motives. Consequently, this can possibly lead to a larger incidence of poverty among displaced people. The paper starts with a discussion of the specific features of the process of forced displacement and their possibly different effect on urban poverty compared to voluntary migration, based on qualitative evidence collected through interviews with people who experienced forced displacement during the conflict in the 1990s. Then, the probit model of determinants of poverty, based on the Living Standards Measurement Survey data, was estimated in order to provide empirical evidence of the effect of mass forced displacement on urban poverty, as well as the difference in the poverty incidence among displaced people compared to voluntary migrants. The results suggest that consumption is significantly lower among displaced households, while incidence of poverty is not affected by displacement status. The evidence also contributes to the migration literature by providing specific results about the relationship between mass forced displacement and urban poverty.

TOURISM AND POVERTY IN BADUNG REGENCY, BALI

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I Made Patera

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Tourism and poverty’s phenomenon had already been known since the birth of human civilization. In the 1980s poverty became a serious concern of practitioners and scholars in various part of the world, including Indonesia. Poverty is not only understood in understanding as an abstract concept, but also as a reality of economic injustice and inability to meet basic human needs in some rich countries but also in many developing countries in the world. The problem of poverty is a fundamental and tourism is one of the many ways to solve this. The objective of this paper is to study the role of tourism to poverty alleviation including: 1 to analyze the influence of tourism development toward economic performance; 2 to analyze the effect of economic performance on poverty eradication; 3 to analyze the influence of tourism on poverty alleviation; 4 to formulate a strategy to increase tourism's role in poverty alleviation in Badung Regency. This study uses quantitative approach supported by secondary data and qualitative approach using primary data obtained through observation, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Research was conducted in South Badung Regency in the most developed tourism growth and considered the richest district among all regencies in Bali Regencies. Various attempts have been made to alleviate poverty, however have not been able to resolve poverty problems. The grand theory of this study refers to Neoliberalism Theory, supported by Social Democratic Theory and Empowerment Theory. Neoliberalism emphasizes that poverty as an individual problem and prosperity can only be achieved by achievement of economic growth through free market mechanism. According to Social Democratic Theory the emergence of poverty came from outside of the community itself. While the emphasis on the Empowerment Theory is in improving the ability of individual or communities to become indepedence on economic, social welfare and political right. Data

The political economy of maize production and poverty reduction in Zambia: analysis of the last 50 years.

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Hanjra, Munir A; Culas, Richard J

2011-01-01

Poverty and food security are endemic issues in much of sub-Saharan Africa. To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger in the region remains a key Millennium Development Goal. Many African governments have pursued economic reforms and agricultural policy interventions in order to accelerate economic growth that reduces poverty faster. Agricultural policy regimes in Zambia in the last 50 years (1964–2008) are examined here to better understand their likely impact on food security and poverty, with an emphasis on the political economy of maize subsidy policies. The empirical work draws on secondary sources and an evaluation of farm household data from three villages in the Kasama District of Zambia from 1986/87 and 1992/93 to estimate a two-period econometric model to examine the impact on household welfare in a pre- and post-reform period. The analysis shows that past interventions had mixed effects on enhancing the production of food crops such as maize. While such reforms were politically popular, it did not necessarily translate into household-level productivity or welfare gains in the short term. The political economy of reforms needs to respond to the inherent diversity among the poor rural and urban households. The potential of agriculture to generate a more pro-poor growth process depends on the creation of new market opportunities that most benefit the rural poor. The state should encourage private sector investments for addressing infrastructure constraints to improve market access and accelerate more pro-poor growth through renewed investments in agriculture, rural infrastructure, gender inclusion, smarter subsidies and regional food trade. However, the financing of such investments poses significant challenges. There is a need to address impediments to the effective participation of public private investors to generate more effective poverty reduction and hunger eradication programmes. This article also explores the opportunities for new public�

The dynamics of poverty and crime

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Haiyun Zhao

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Poverty and crime are two maladies that plague metropolitan areas.The economic theory of crime ［1］ demonstrates a direct correlation between poverty and crime.The model considered in this study seeks to examine the dynamics of the poverty-crime system through stability analysis of a system of ordinary differential equations in order to identify cost-effective strategies to combat crime in metropolises.

"Ikasi Style" and the Quiet Violence of Dreams: A Critique of Youth Belonging in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Swartz, Sharlene; Harding, James Hamilton; De Lannoy, Ariane

2012-01-01

Drawing on empirical data from two recent research studies in post-Apartheid South Africa, this paper asks what it means to be poor, young and black, and belong in a society that has suffered debilitating and dehumanising racial subjugation, actively excluding people from citizenship, and how poverty serves to perpetuate this exclusion. It…

Seasonality and Access to Education: The Case of Primary Education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Research Monograph No. 31

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Hadley, Sierd

2010-01-01

This paper draws together research on seasonality, child labour and education in the context of primary education in sub-Saharan Africa. It describes how income poverty and demand for labour can fluctuate within and between years, affecting participation and progression through school systems. It highlights how analysis of the private and public…

Poverty and program participation among immigrant children.

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Borjas, George J

2011-01-01

Researchers have long known that poverty in childhood is linked with a range of negative adult socioeconomic outcomes, from lower educational achievement and behavioral problems to lower earnings in the labor market. But few researchers have explored whether exposure to a disadvantaged background affects immigrant children and native children differently. George Borjas uses Current Population Survey (CPS) data on two specific indicators of poverty-the poverty rate and the rate of participation in public assistance programs-to begin answering that question. He finds that immigrant children have significantly higher rates both of poverty and of program participation than do native children. Nearly half of immigrant children are being raised in households that receive some type of public assistance, compared with roughly one-third of native children. Although the shares of immigrant and native children living in poverty are lower, the rate for immigrant children is nonetheless about 15 percentage points higher than that for native children-about the same as the gap in public assistance. Poverty and program participation rates among different groups of immigrant children also vary widely, depending in part on place of birth (foreign- or U.S.-born), parents (immigrant or native), and national origin. According to the CPS data, these native-immigrant differences persist into young adulthood. In particular, the program participation and poverty status of immigrant children is strongly correlated with their program participation and poverty status when they become young adults. But it is not possible, says Borjas, to tell whether the link results from a set of permanent factors associated with specific individuals or groups that tends to lead to "good" or "bad" outcomes systematically over time or from exposure during childhood to adverse socioeconomic outcomes, such as poverty or welfare dependency. Future research must explore the causal impact of childhood poverty on

Poverty eradication in a carbon constrained world

OpenAIRE

Hubacek, Klaus; Baiocchi, Giovanni; Feng, Kuishuang; Patwardhan, Anand

2017-01-01

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change aims to keep warming below 2 °C while recognizing developing countries’ right to eradicate extreme poverty. Poverty eradication is also the first of the Sustainable Development Goals. This paper investigates potential consequences for climate targets of achieving poverty eradication. We find that eradicating extreme poverty, i.e., moving people to an income above $1.9 purchasing power parity (PPP) a day, does not jeopardize the climate target even...

The effects of contraception on female poverty.

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Browne, Stephanie P; LaLumia, Sara

2014-01-01

Poverty rates are particularly high among households headed by single women, and childbirth is often the event preceding these households' poverty spells. This paper examines the relationship between legal access to the birth control pill and female poverty. We rely on exogenous cross-state variation in the year in which oral contraception became legally available to young, single women. Using census data from 1960 to 1990, we find that having legal access to the birth control pill by age 20 significantly reduces the probability that a woman is subsequently in poverty. We estimate that early legal access to oral contraception reduces female poverty by 0.5 percentage points, even when controlling for completed education, employment status, and household composition.

Exposure to Poverty and Productivity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dalton, Patricio; Gonzalez Jimenez, Victor; Noussair, Charles

2016-01-01

We study whether poverty can induce affective states that decrease productivity. In a controlled laboratory setting, we find that subjects randomly assigned to a treatment, in which they view a video featuring individuals that live in extreme poverty, exhibit lower subsequent productivity compared

The role of decentralized systems in providing universal electricity access in Sub-Saharan Africa – A model-based approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dagnachew, Anteneh G.; Lucas, Paul L.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/272607444; Hof, Andries F.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/240412397; Gernaat, David E.H.J.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/372664636; de Boer, Harmen Sytze; van Vuuren, Detlef P.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/11522016X

2017-01-01

Poverty and lack of access to electricity are highly correlated. In Sub-Saharan Africa, one of the poorest regions in the world, two in every three people have no access to electricity. This paper describes a purpose designed model to explore and project the development in the Sub-Saharan African

European welfare regimes: Political orientations versus poverty

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Josifidis Kosta

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This inquiry analyzes how political orientations shape welfare states and labour market institutions when seeking to reduce poverty. In order to identify effects of these two key variables, we conduct a panel regression analysis that includes two poverty measures: poverty rates before and after social spending. This inquiry considers 14 EU countries, and in the period from 1995 to 2008, which are grouped according to welfare state regimes. We consider Social Democratic, Corporatist, Mediterranean and Liberal welfare state regimes. Panel regression results indicate that political orientation engenders no significant statistically measurable effects on poverty rates before social spending. Effects register, however, as significant when considering poverty rates after social spending. With respect to the first set of results, we advance two key explanations. First, we note a longer period of time is necessary in order to observe actual effects of political orientation on market generated poverty. Second, political parties with their respective programs do not register as influential enough to solve social problems related to income distribution when taken alone. Influences register as indirect and are expressed through changes in employment rates and social spending. The second set of results support the hypothesis that a selected political regime does indeed contribute to poverty reduction. In sum, political orientation and political regime does indeed affect poverty through welfare state institutions, as well as through labour market institutions.

Nutrition, health, and aging in sub-Saharan Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimokoti, Ruth W; Hamer, Davidson H

2008-11-01

The proportion of the population that is > or = 60 years of age in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is increasing rapidly and is likely to constrain healthcare systems in the future. Nevertheless, the elderly are not a health policy priority for African countries. This paper reviews the nutritional and health status of older adults in SSA and their determinants. Literature was abstracted through the Medline, Google Scholar, and Dogpile databases using the following search terms: sub-Saharan Africa, older adults, nutrition, health. Findings showed that up to half (6-48%) of elderly Africans in SSA are underweight and almost a quarter (2.5-21%) are overweight, while 56% of older South Africans are obese. Low-quality diets contribute to poor nutritional status. Poverty, HIV/AIDS, and complex humanitarian emergencies are major determinants of undernutrition. Effective interventions need to consider socioeconomic, health, and demographic factors; social pensions may be the most cost-effective option for improving the health and nutritional status of the elderly in SSA.

Poverty Dynamics: the case of the Maldives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.L. de Kruijk (Hans)

2010-01-01

textabstractPoverty dynamics research leads to a better understanding of poverty than point-in-time studies. We have executed a comprehensive longitudinal poverty study based on 3 large-scale household surveys carried out on all 200 inhabited islands in the Maldives. The first wave was conducted in

Beyond the feminisation of poverty: gender-aware poverty reduction.

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Lockwood, M; Baden, S

1995-09-01

There must be an awareness of gender issues in poverty reduction programs. For example, program efforts that direct aid to the promotion of labor intensive employment options disregard women's already overburdened work regime. Public expenditures to benefit the poor, such as primary education or reformed agricultural extension, may be based on the assumption that men and women will benefit equally, yet there is often gender bias in the delivery of services. One recommendation is to target female headed households in budget-constrained anti-poverty programs. One of the few examples of such programs provides urban female household heads in Chile with employment training, housing, health care, child care, and legal aid services. Causes of female headship vary, and a simple correlation with poverty is not always the case. Well-intentioned women-in-development credit programs in Ghana and Bangladesh have been "hijacked" by men. Programs to address gender discrimination only among the poor may overlook other oppressed women. In India gender discrimination is often greatest among women in wealthy households. Programs must offer more than economic resources, they must help women stretch traditional gender boundaries and obtain skills such as literacy or financial management. They must help women organize collectively to protest injustices and achieve institutional reforms.

Gender, poverty and social justice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A. Chhachhi (Amrita); T-D. Truong (Thanh-Dam)

2009-01-01

textabstractViews on poverty are deeply rooted in cultural frameworks about the human condition shaped by histories. In the debate on modernity, perspectives on poverty oscillate between: a) making the poor -- their "morals" and "culture" -- responsible for their own situation and b) positioning the

Poverty, tobacco, and health: an Indian scenario.

Science.gov (United States)

Majra, J P; Gur, A

2009-06-01

Poverty and health have a two-way relationship. Poverty increases the vulnerability of people to disease, and sickness affects their income leading to poverty. Tobacco has been identified as a major avoidable cause of illness and premature death. In India, more than half of men and one-tenth of women use one or more forms of tobacco. Tobacco-use shows a clear and continual increase with decreasing wealth quintiles. Poor smokers, who are at a greater risk of illness, are also at a greater risk of not being treated or of falling into greater poverty if they seek treatment. Poor people spend money on tobacco that could be spent on food, shelter, education, and healthcare. These decisions can entrench families in an ongoing cycle of poverty and ill-health. The direct and indirect costs of tobacco-use are immense for national economy. This has positioned control of tobacco relevant in India's per suite to achieve the goals of poverty eradication and health for all.

SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF POVERTY AT DIFFERENT SCALES

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Gandhi PAWITAN

2010-01-01