Ghana has experienced a significant economics boom over the last decade and become one of the fastest growing countries in recent years. In 2011, Ghana had growth at 13% which is 13 time greater than that of Europe. There have been numerous other indicators suggesting that Ghana is rapidly developing. The percentage of rural populations with access to water has increased to over 80% in 2011. In addition, although not by much, life expectancy has increased from 57 in 1992 to 61 in 2012. Ghana receives large amounts of world aid, as it is still viewed as a relatively poor country, but this aid appears to have been targeted towards the right industries. Ghana's wealth has stemmed from the discovery of oil
reserve which bring the country large export revenue. This coupled with rare minerals from the mining industry significantly comprising of Gold, Manganese and diamonds shows how Ghana has "hit the jackpot".However, not all is as it seems. There still still remains significantly large amounts of poverty in Ghana and income inequality is beginning to worsen, as the most skilled tend to enjoy the wealth. Access to education also varies drastically between regions, and there is a direct correlation between education and fertility rates.Greater Accra has the highest levels of education within the country and women have an average of 2.5 children, whereas in the Northern region, two thirds of women have no formal education and an average of 6.8 children. Another shocking figure that highlights the lack of development is that in the capital Accra, over 90% of the population have no access to a toilet. This means that they are forced to defecate in unapproved areas worsening the spread of the cholera bacterium. Inequality among Ghanaians is seen with the country being at the 130th position of the Human Development Index , which is ranked according to well being. Though Ghana is at the medium human development, issues of life expectancy, literacy, education, child welfare, health care, access to water, and toilets still exist.
Inequality
among Ghanaians is seen more at the country being at the 130th position
of the 2010 UN Human Development Index ranked among 169 countries for
their wellbeing. Though Ghana is at the medium human development, issues
of life expectancy, literacy, education, child welfare, healthcare,
energy, access to water, toilets/sanitation and general standards of
living aren’t equally distributed. - See more at:
http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2011/06/19/there-is-economic-surge-in-ghana-but-inequality-on-the-rise/#sthash.AkYIpVA7.dpuf
Overnight,
it is easy to see the effects of the rapidly growing rural-urban
migrations. As joblessness, hopelessness and homeslessness increases,
more people are migrating to the already choked cities. There are
immense pressure on inadequate socio-economic infrastructure. The number
of people sleeping in the streets in Kumasi and Accra are growing.
Armed robbery is a recurring menace. Prostitution is on the increase.
The Sub Metro Director of Okaikoi South, an Accra subburb, Nathaniel
Adzotor, says “about one-third of residents in Accra live in slums and
as a result do not enjoy adequate social services.” The 60-year-old
National Malaria Control Programme is yet to fully control malaria that
weakens and kills most Ghanaians. - See more at:
http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2011/06/19/there-is-economic-surge-in-ghana-but-inequality-on-the-rise/#sthash.AkYIpVA7.dpuf
Access
to education varies drastically between regions, and there is a direct
correlation between education and fertility rates as displayed by the
statistics: greater Accra has the highest levels of education within the
country and women have an average of 2.5 children, whereas in the
Northern region, two thirds of women have no formal education and an
average of 6.8 children. There is also a vast divergence in the levels
of assistance at delivery between these regions, with 90 percent of
women aged 15-49 years who gave birth in the last two years in Greater
Accra being assisted by skilled personnel at delivery, whereas in the
Northern region the total was 37 percent. - See more at:
http://www.african-initiatives.org.uk/ghana-ai/#sthash.ek39xXIv.dpuf
Access
to education varies drastically between regions, and there is a direct
correlation between education and fertility rates as displayed by the
statistics: greater Accra has the highest levels of education within the
country and women have an average of 2.5 children, whereas in the
Northern region, two thirds of women have no formal education and an
average of 6.8 children. There is also a vast divergence in the levels
of assistance at delivery between these regions, with 90 percent of
women aged 15-49 years who gave birth in the last two years in Greater
Accra being assisted by skilled personnel at delivery, whereas in the
Northern region the total was 37 percent. - See more at:
http://www.african-initiatives.org.uk/ghana-ai/#sthash.ek39xXIv.dpuf
Access
to education varies drastically between regions, and there is a direct
correlation between education and fertility rates as displayed by the
statistics: greater Accra has the highest levels of education within the
country and women have an average of 2.5 children, whereas in the
Northern region, two thirds of women have no formal education and an
average of 6.8 children. There is also a vast divergence in the levels
of assistance at delivery between these regions, with 90 percent of
women aged 15-49 years who gave birth in the last two years in Greater
Accra being assisted by skilled personnel at delivery, whereas in the
Northern region the total was 37 percent. - See more at:
http://www.african-initiatives.org.uk/ghana-ai/#sthash.ek39xXIv.dpuf
Access
to education varies drastically between regions, and there is a direct
correlation between education and fertility rates as displayed by the
statistics: greater Accra has the highest levels of education within the
country and women have an average of 2.5 children, whereas in the
Northern region, two thirds of women have no formal education and an
average of 6.8 children. There is also a vast divergence in the levels
of assistance at delivery between these regions, with 90 percent of
women aged 15-49 years who gave birth in the last two years in Greater
Accra being assisted by skilled personnel at delivery, whereas in the
Northern region the total was 37 percent. - See more at:
http://www.african-initiatives.org.uk/ghana-ai/#sthash.ek39xXIv.dpuft
Access
to education varies drastically between regions, and there is a direct
correlation between education and fertility rates as displayed by the
statistics: greater Accra has the highest levels of education within the
country and women have an average of 2.5 children, whereas in the
Northern region, two thirds of women have no formal education and an
average of 6.8 children. There is also a vast divergence in the levels
of assistance at delivery between these regions, with 90 percent of
women aged 15-49 years who gave birth in the last two years in Greater
Accra being assisted by skilled personnel at delivery, whereas in the
Northern region the total was 37 percent. - See more at:
http://www.african-initiatives.org.uk/ghana-ai/#sthash.ek39xXIv.dpuf
1 comment:
I never knew there was such a problem with toilets and this post really shows how income inequality is a big problem
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