Baako-Amponsah, Josephine
Research Interests :
Economics and Social Sciences
Geographical Area :
Sub-Saharan African Countries
Current Project :
Economic Development and Living Standards: New Evidence and Perspectives from Sub-Saharan Africa
Economic growth recovery among sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries is expected to have progressive effect on the population’s welfare and improve wellbeing outcomes such as health and education. Evidence suggests that that economic growth in SSA is comparatively unequal implying that such overall macroeconomic performance has not significantly translated into improved living conditions for the majority of the population. Economic growth although necessary, has not been a sufficient condition for achieving human development (HD) in SSA. Some evidence suggests that growth can be accompanied by progress in HD indicators such as health and education if such growth reduces income inequality. It is hypothesized that lower income inequality brings about greater household allocation of income to invest in HD outcomes.
Economic growth coupled with improved human development is essential for better overall societal wellbeing. Human development in SSA can be powered by increased investment in children in particular. The provision of enabling environment for child development in the sphere of economic growth is crucial for human development and subsequent growth and development. Investments in child education and health are proven to have positive impact on child wellbeing
Despite the significant associations observed between economic growth and child development, the pathways of influence and domains relevant to child wellbeing are outstanding due to heterogeneity in the definition and operationalization of wellbeing outcomes. Empirical studies assessing relations between economic growth and child wellbeing have conceptualised this paradigm using myriad direct and indirect measures, however, there is a need to develop theory and specific hypotheses on the processes through which country characteristics, neighbourhood and household factors may jointly influence specific child wellbeing outcomes. Given that the relationship cannot be generalized across all outcomes and this may differ across contexts, understanding these relevant domains is vital for implementing appropriate contextual and outcome-specific policies and programs. The proposed study aims to provide a comparative evaluation of child wellbeing outcomes and examine patterns in child wellbeing inequalities in SSA.
The study seeks to reveal deeper insights into the effects of the unbalanced distribution of economic growth on child wellbeing and provide considerable evidence to help policy makers design strategies suitable for improving child wellbeing.