Abstract:
Very little is documented in the literature regarding direct measurement of child poverty and disparity in the Ghanaian context. The present study examines the extent and distribution of severe deprivation and absolute poverty among children in the country using the 2006 Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey as data source. The findings show that children experience severe and less severe deprivation more in sanitation than any other indicator of child deprivation (38.5 and 29.4%, respectively) followed by education, shelter and information. Almost 30% of children suffer from lack of toilet facilities, the most frequent case of any deprivation in the country. Male and female children are likely to experience at least two severe deprivations than one. The proportion of children experiencing any deprivations is generally high for both boys and girls outstanding disparities also emerge when ethnicity, religion, region and type of place of residence are examined. In all the seven severe deprivations, rural dwellers are worse off than their urban counterparts. This underscores the need for more balanced provision of social amenities between the urban and rural areas. It is important to raise national awareness on poor sanitation and its effects on the health and development of children. © Medwell Journals, 2010.