It has come to light that 43 percent of the 1,271,883 residents in the Upper East Region are multidimensionally poor. The intensity of poverty stands at 47.5 percent. This is according to the Multidimensional Poverty Report published by the Ghana Statistical Service.
The report aims to track the country’s progress on key developmental goals. These include Goal 1 of Agenda 2030, which aims to eradicate poverty in all its forms everywhere, Aspiration 1 of the African Union Agenda 2063, which aims for a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development, as well as Ghana’s Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework (MTNDPF) 2022-2025, which also aims to build a prosperous nation and create opportunities for all Ghanaians.
The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is a multidimensional measure of poverty developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford.
The index, according to the Upper East Regional Statistician, Bawa Abdul-Karim, assesses the different contributory deprivations that are experienced by people in Ghana.
The report measures poverty in four dimensions with 13 indicators.
The dimensions are education, health, employment, and living standards. The indicators include drinking water, cooking fuels, assets, housing, overcrowding, electricity, toilet facilities, mortality, and health insurance.
The rest are school attainment, school lag, school attendance, and wage employment.
Mr. Abdul-Karim, speaking to Mark Smith on the Day Break Upper East Show, explained that focusing on one factor alone, such as income as has been done in past studies on poverty, is not enough to capture the true picture of multidimensional poverty.
The Regional Statistician explained that at a recent dissemination workshop, Municipal and District Chief Executives were challenged to take a critical look at the details of the report and target their interventions to help further development.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Bolgatanga|
