Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0142/01429.txt

Text File | 1991-06-25 | 21KB | 345 lines

$Unique_ID{COW01429}
$Pretitle{353}
$Title{Ghana
Chapter 6A.   Living Conditions}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{}
$Affiliation{HQ, Department of the Army}
$Subject{areas
housing
urban
food
facilities
construction
foods
income
rural
government}
$Date{1970}
$Log{}
Country:     Ghana
Book:        Area Handbook for Ghana
Affiliation: HQ, Department of the Army
Date:        1970

Chapter 6A.   Living Conditions

     In 1970 the standard of health and welfare of the people was one of the
major concerns of the government. The rapid urbanization that had taken place
since the end of World War II had led to the development of population centers
without adequate sanitation facilities. Some government projects and medium
and higher priced private housing in urban areas did provide adequate
facilities; however, compact areas of what initially had been constructed as
temporary housing without sanitation facilities have mushroomed and continued
to be occupied on a permanent basis. These areas represented one of the major
obstacles government officials faced in their efforts to improve the health
level of urban areas.

     Government efforts to raise the standard of living of the population have
included such programs as the construction of low-cost housing, the provision
of pure water from piped supplies and wells in both rural and urban areas, the
expansion and improvement of medical facilities, and a widespread program of
health education aimed at changing the attitudes of the tradition-bound older
generation. Particular efforts were focused on diet and the widespread
existence of nutritional deficiencies that have been the cause of much of the
country's poor health. Health service programs have constituted important
parts of the various development plans that had been drawn up since
independence. Major priorities have included: increasing the number of
qualified medical personnel at all levels; intensifying the campaign against
the most serious communicable diseases through curative and preventive
measures and through educating the public; extending and improving the
maternity welfare programs already in operation; and constructing additional
medical facilities. Although in 1970 none of these goals had been fully
achieved, progress had been made in all four areas.

     Missionaries and missionary societies first introduced modern medicine in
the nineteenth century, and until after World War I they were almost alone in
the fight against disease. Since the end of World War II the World Health
Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have
provided much financial and technical aid for the elimination of disease and
the raising of health standards. A serious shortage of medical specialists
existed, and local facilities for training medical personnel needed expansion
and updating. Many Ghanaians continued to rely on traditional doctors and
herbalists.

     In 1965 the first legislation went into effect providing for social
security on a national basis. Under this plan a provident fund scheme
(lump-sum payment) was established that lasted until 1970, when a conversion
to a pension scheme was scheduled. By 1970 legislation also provided for
sickness, maternity, and work injury benefits. Government welfare programs
were the responsibility of the Department of Social Welfare under the Ministry
of Labor and Social Welfare. In the rural areas and, to a considerable extent,
in the urban centers, however, the traditional patterns of social security
based on kin obligations still prevailed.

The Level of Living

     The determination of the level of living was hampered by the lack of
statistical information. Perhaps half of the population lived at an
agricultural subsistence level. Cash crop farmers, however, enjoyed a
relatively high level of living not only for the country but also for Africa
as a whole. National income for fiscal year 1966/67 was placed at about NC214
(1 new cedi equals US$0.98-see Glossary). Available figures indicated an
uneven distribution of wealth and showed a higher range of income for the
southern half of the country, where the great bulk of cash crops was raised
and most industrial activity took place (see ch. 11, Character and Structure
of the Economy). Most wage-earning families had more than one wage earner or
had a supplementary income from trading or some other source. Per capita
income had steadily increased since World War II, but the continuously rising
cost of living had prevented any appreciable increase in real income.

     An adequate analysis of consumer spending was difficult to develop not
only because of the scarcity of representative statistics but also because of
the reluctance of many wage earners to reveal information about their total
income and spending habits. Surveys in the mid-1960s showed that the major
percentage of the average budget was spent for food; other major expenditures
included clothing, tobacco, beverages, heating and lighting, household items,
school expenses, and payments on loans for funeral expenses or other family
obligations. For the wealthier consumers, miscellaneous expenditures, half of
which were for travel, increased. With increasing total expenditure, the
proportion spent on clothing, beverages, tobacco, and services tends to rise,
and that spent on food, rent, fuel, lighting falls. Surveys indicate that when
faced with increases in food costs, Ghanaians are more likely to reduce the
amount of food consumed than to change the kinds of foods they eat.

     Consumer price indexes for the early and mid-1960s showed significant
variations in urban and rural costs. Transportation, communication, and fuel
and lighting were higher for urban consumers; clothing and certain foods were
higher for rural consumers. The cost of living in Accra, however, was actually
lower than the national average, whereas the figures for Tamale, Ho, and Cape
Coast were significantly higher-by 7 to 15 percent.

     The differences in some costs between major urban and rural areas are
linked to differences in availability of certain amenities. For example,
electricity for lighting is available only in a number of urban communities.
Also the need for, and daily use of, vehicular transportation is confined to
the larger urban areas. On the other hand, the lower cost of living in Accra
compared with that in some other towns may be partly attributed to the higher
costs of transportation to the latter.

     Consumer habits are changing rapidly. In the past they were dictated by
local production and small-scale trading with neighboring areas but, as
contact with Europeans increased, consumer tastes changed accordingly. Canned
foods, soap, cosmetics, imported cloth, and imported liquor can be found in
the markets, even in remote rural areas, and lend prestige to both purchaser
and seller. Electrical appliances, bicycles, and automobiles are important
status symbols and may be purchased on the installment plan. The attraction of
imported goods and services, including the demand for education, all of which
are quite expensive, is causing a considerable number to live beyond their
means. The habit of saving for major expenditures is almost unknown, and
moneylenders are able to charge exorbitant interest rates. After receiving
payment for their produce, rural Ghanaians have often gone on seasonal
purchasing sprees with little thought for long-range needs or to the potential
advantages of the purchases made.

Housing and Sanitation

     Diverse materials and techniques are used in the construction of housing
throughout the country. Mud and wattle or adobe brick walls with thatch or
corrugated metal roofs contrast with modern garden apartments and bungalows.
In the rural areas each family usually constructs and maintains its own
dwelling, which most frequently consists of several huts arranged into a
compound. The number of huts depends on the size of the family. Cooking is
generally done in the yard, and one room in the compound may be reserved for
washing and b