Investigating the relationship between poverty and disease : the case of Guinea Worm in the Savelugu-Nanton district of the northern region of Ghana
Abstract
The relationship between poverty and disease is complex and is often difficult to
explore. The situation is exacerbated when investigating different aspects of this
relationship and including concepts such as sustainable development into the
equation. Varying methods have also been employed in past research when examining
this relationship. Quantitative methods often give a vivid but superficial picture to the
relationship, whilst a qualititative method often leads to difficulties in extrapolating
this relationship to other contexts. In the research, I employed a mixed research
strategy employing both quantitative and qualitative methods. Initially I estimated –
based on the data I obtained - the average number of weeks lost to farming by people
infected with Guinea Worm, the average number of weeks it takes to heal, and the
average number of active weeks of farming lost. In the research, I found that a person
within the targeted district loses approximately 107 weeks of his or her ‘active’ life to
Guinea Worm. This translates into roughly 2 years of inactivity in the person’s
lifetime. These 107 weeks lost to Guinea Worm is equivalent to approximately 9
farming seasons which ultimately means 9 years of economic inactivity in the
Savelugu-Nanton District per person. Using qualitative methods, I discussed related
issues with students and teachers in the district and found that Guinea Worm results in
high rates of absenteeism in schools which impacts negatively on broader education in
the region. Further investigations revealed that people in the district have lower life
expectancies when compared nationally, which is a worrying statistic for a country
that is already plagued with low life expectancies.
Description
Masteroppgave i development management- Universitetet i Agder 2010