Elite perception on issues relating to poverty in Northern Ghana

Abstract

The world continues to grapple with poverty. It is estimated that at least two-thirds of women in the world live in abject poverty without adequate food, clean water, sanitation, health care and formal education. These people live particularly in the rural areas and urban towns. To many educated elites, living below one dollar a day is the yardstick for measuring poverty. In Ghana poverty is mainly related to the three Northern Regions – Upper West, Upper East and Northern as well as parts of Central and Western Regions. These manifestations were very critical in the development orientation of a country like Ghana. In order to help address these issues, this study tried to find out how elites in the Northern Region understand and perceive the levels of poverty and how to eradicate them. It was found out that poverty is very much related to hunger, insufficient education, poor health facilities and insufficient access to income. The most affected in this poverty web are women and children. It was also fount out that the harsh climatic and environmental conditions contribute significantly to poverty in Northern Ghana.