The West African nation of Ghana is grappling with a widespread, decades-long poverty crisis, predominately in rural areas of the country. According to the World Bank, 20.5% of Ghana’s population lived below the international poverty line in 2022. In particular, elderly poverty in Ghana has become a growing problem due to factors including a rapidly aging population and low birthrates. However, the nation is working to combat the problem and provide relief for some of its most vulnerable citizens.

Trends that Contribute to Elderly Poverty in Ghana

Elderly Poverty in Ghana, as elsewhere, affects the health and quality of life of citizens 60 years of age and older. According to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Ghana’s elderly population was close to 2 million in 2021, a figure almost 10 times higher than that recorded in 1960. Furthermore, the GSS’s 2021 Population and Housing Census indicated that more than 25% of Ghana’s elderly live in multidimensional poverty, meaning that they lack access to several essential resources and services like clean water, a secure food supply, reliable housing and health care. Notably, elderly multidimensional poverty rates reportedly ranged from 8.8% in the region of Accra, Ghana’s capital city, to 53% in the rural Savannah Region.

As Ghana’s social infrastructures confront rising elderly poverty rates, health care, especially, is struggling to meet the needs of the country’s population. As of 2021, elderly citizens accounted for about 7% of Ghana’s population, one of the highest proportions in sub-Saharan Africa. Expected to rise, this figure is, in part, the result of recent increases in life expectancy due to factors including increased urbanization and increased access to family planning services. Yet, as Ghana’s elderly population grows, the demand for access to services such as health care also increases.

Impact on Living Standards

Lack of access to vital necessities such as nutritious food, clean water and health care puts individuals at greater risk of poor health and communicable disease. Many elderly citizens are living with at least one illness or chronic condition and have become burdened by increased medical expenses and financial instability. Some have become dependent on their families for care and support while others who are unable to find employment turn to informal work, such as begging, to provide for themselves and their families.

Addressing Elderly Poverty in Ghana

Care 4 Aged Outreach, a non-governmental, Ghana-based nonprofit, is working to provide support for elderly Ghanaians living in poverty, and are unable to care for themselves due to age or illness. The organization’s volunteers offer home visits and free services such as cooking, housekeeping, laundry and medical assistance. Its efforts include enabling school-aged children, who would otherwise be responsible for caring for their loved ones, to return to the classroom.

The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) program, founded in 2008, also provides cash transfers to households with elderly residents. Additionally, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), established by the Government of Ghana in 2003 and updated in 2012, is working to ensure access to quality health insurance and care for all Ghanaians, including elderly citizens.

Looking Ahead

These initiatives are providing vital relief for elderly Ghanaians living in poverty. Still, the complex and multi-faceted nature of the issue highlights the need for more effort. Ongoing trends suggest that continued work and support can potentially resolve the problem of elderly poverty in Ghana, thereby creating a brighter future for the country’s aging population and youth alike.

– Nicholas DeLuca
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Launched in 2019, the TB Elimination Alliance (TEA) is an organization ending tuberculosis in underrepresented Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations. Currently, 13 million people have latent tuberculosis infection (CDC, 2023). Of this number, 36% of Asian/Asian Americans and 25% of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have tuberculosis. To help combat the high rates of tuberculosis in these communities, the TB Elimination Alliance has four goals: outreach, awareness, resource sharing and partnership development.

Outreach

TEA’s primary goal is to reach “underserved AA and NH/PI communities with the highest TB burden.” One way the organization achieves its goal is by contacting community health centers. For instance, in 2022, TEA invited the health centers to complete surveys that collect data on the needs of the Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander community, specifically regarding tuberculosis, so that the organization could know how to help them best.

Awareness

The second goal of TEA is to raise awareness about tuberculosis treatment and testing. One way TEA does this is by providing a summary of the U.S. recommendations for testing and treatment on its website for people who need access to that information. The organization also creates webinars for health care workers and companies that “discuss successful strategies for screening, testing and treatment in high-need populations in community health care settings.” The webinars aim to raise awareness in the health care community of the issues facing high-risk populations regarding tuberculosis.

The Tuberculosis Elimination Alliance and Hep B United also hold an annual TB Summit with “workshops, panels, networking” with the goal of “celebrating the achievements and progress towards hepatitis B and tuberculosis elimination”. The publicity surrounding this event also brings awareness about tuberculosis to Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders communities.

Sharing Resources

The third goal of the Tuberculosis Elimination Alliance is to share resources and information with communities at high risk for tuberculosis. One resource the organization shares is a self-study module about tuberculosis on its website.

Additionally, the organization also hosted a webinar titled “Quality Improvement Strategies for Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) Testing and Treatment in Asian American- (AA-), Native Hawaiian (NH-), and Pacific Islander- (PI-) Serving Health Centers: Standardized Data Collection Opportunities” so that the health care companies and workers were not only informed on the issues facing high-risk communities but knew how to respond to these issues as well.

Developing Partnerships

The fourth goal of the Tuberculosis Elimination Alliance is to develop partnerships with other organizations to “scale existing initiatives.” It partners with STOP TB USA, which aims to “ strengthen the ability to search for, treat and prevent TB.”

Another partner of the Tuberculosis Elimination Alliance is the Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum. This organization works to “influence policy, mobilizes communities, and strengthens programs and organizations to improve the health of Asian Americans & Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders.” 

The Tuberculosis Elimination Alliance finally partners with local clinics like Hope Clinic, which provides health care in “over 30 languages.”

Influence

Through outreach, awareness, sharing resources and developing partnerships, the Tuberculosis Elimination Alliance has helped many people. Since the organization began in 2019, $573,500 in mini-grants have been awarded in 17 states to help with tuberculosis efforts in Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, African American, Latinx and Asian American communities.

Additionally, within the last 15 years, 36 million people have been cured of tuberculosis. One of the big reasons for this is because of organizations like the Tuberculosis Elimination Alliance, which reaches out to underrepresented communities like the Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities so that they get the help they need.

– Hope Yonehara
Photo: Flickr

Ethiopia continues to face a significant and persistent poverty crisis, despite some progress in recent years. According to U.N. data from 2021, approximately 19% of the population lives in poverty. One particular challenge the country grapples with is energy poverty, which affects individuals in poverty-stricken, rural and underdeveloped areas. Energy poverty refers to the lack of access to reliable, affordable and essential energy resources, such as electricity. Unfortunately, energy poverty in Ethiopia remains a pressing issue, with no signs of improvement. The nation’s demand for energy resources far exceeds its available supply, exacerbated by external factors that hinder the country’s means of production.

Energy Poverty in Ethiopia

Energy poverty persists as a pressing challenge in Ethiopia, impacting a significant portion of the population, particularly those living in poor or rural areas. With more than half of the citizens lacking access to electricity, rural areas, which house 80% of the Ethiopian population, face scarcity and limited accessibility to energy resources. Consequently, many resort to burning wood for cooking and heating, exacerbating the issue of energy poverty.

Ethiopia’s energy demands continue to rise due to rapid urbanization, GDP growth and population expansion in both urban and rural regions. However, the country’s energy infrastructure is insufficient to meet the needs of its 110 million citizens, as stated by the International Trade Administration.

Moreover, Ethiopia grapples with a drought crisis which further exacerbates the situation. The majority of the country’s energy production, about 90%, heavily relies on hydropower, making it vulnerable to the impacts of the worsening drought. Hydropower dams experience severe limitations in production capabilities, resulting in outputs well below their potential. In response, officials are exploring alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal power to diversify the energy mix and address the energy challenges faced by the nation.

Impact on Health and Living Standards

Energy poverty in Ethiopia is having a detrimental effect on the health and living conditions of affected individuals. Household reliance on wood and charcoal burning for heating and cooking has led to common respiratory complications due to the inhalation of toxic smoke produced during combustion. Insufficient resources, such as lack of electricity, further hinder ventilation capabilities and contribute to indoor pollution, particularly in homes using alternative energy sources like wood and coal.

Moreover, energy poverty is also impacting Ethiopia’s educational infrastructure. With the transition to delivering lectures via live television in response to COVID-19, rural schools without access to electricity are unable to broadcast lessons to their students, exacerbating educational disparities.

Addressing Energy Poverty in Ethiopia

Ethiopia is actively working on plans to address energy poverty through various initiatives. Over the next decade, officials aim to significantly increase the country’s energy generation capacity to 17,000 MW, more than triple the current capacity of 4,500 MW. To achieve this goal, multiple dams are currently under construction across Ethiopia, including the Koysha Hydro Power Dam, which will become the country’s second-largest dam upon completion. The Ethiopian Government is overseeing the project, which is expected to be finalized in three years, as of June 2022.

Power Africa, a public-private partnership led by the United States Government, is also actively involved in doubling access to electricity in sub-Saharan African nations, including Ethiopia. The partnership focuses on supporting various aspects of strengthening Ethiopia’s energy grid. This includes rehabilitating existing infrastructure, developing new infrastructure and ensuring reliable energy sources reach areas that currently lack access to electricity.

Looking Ahead

Despite ongoing challenges, officials in Ethiopia are making significant strides in addressing energy poverty. Construction of new energy production sites is underway, and both domestic and international initiatives are actively combatting this issue in the country. The progress so far is not only expected to alleviate poverty rates but also provide much-needed relief to those affected by energy poverty. While there is still room for more progress, the efforts and optimism of officials continue to drive positive change in Ethiopia’s fight against energy poverty.

– Nicholas DeLuca
Photo: Flickr