http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1019 2026-04-14T23:21:35Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12178 Socioeconomic Inequalities in the Utilisation of Healthcare Services in Ghana Abbam, Anthony Ensuring that people from different socioeconomic statuses have access to reliable healthcare services is a basic human right. However, healthcare disparities are a worldwide population health issue, mostly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This research examined the socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare services use in Ghana based on GLSS 6 & 7 data sets. The study used concentration curves, concentration indices and Recentered Influence Function OLS decomposition technique to analyse the degree and causes of socioeconomic inequalities in the utilisation of healthcare services. Also, the Wagstaff decomposition technique was employed to examine the effect of physical, human and social capital on socioeconomic disparities in healthcare use. Finally, the linear and non-linear Oaxaca decomposition methods were used to describe how technology diffusion accounts for gender and rural-urban differential in healthcare use. The study revealed pervasive pro-rich and pro-educated inequalities in the use of healthcare. Besides, it was found that there were gender and locational gaps in the use of healthcare and that mobile phone accounts for a greater portion of these inequalities. The study recommends policy priority to focus on targeted and progressive development of appropriate physical and human capital and other allied services to ease access to healthcare services. Finally, policy strategies should be pursued to support the rural poor and vulnerable to help offset the cost of air time and data, especially for seeking health information. xvii, 240p:, ill. 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12107 Economic Impacts of Energy Transition Rapidity on the Electricity Sector in Ghana Nkrumah, Richard Kwabena The ongoing energy transition demands significant increase in the shares of low carbon energy technologies in the supply mix. The intention is to ultimately phaseout fossil-fuel technologies to keep global temperatures well below 2oC relative to pre-industrial levels. Despite opening clear possibilities to solve global climate challenges, energy transition is significantly front-loaded with plausible economic and social costs. The existing spectrum of literature on the transition in developing electricity markets is yet non-exhaustive, especially for Ghana in the sense of accounting for the economy-wide implication across all sectors of a national economy arising from carbon abatement policies. This study employs forward-looking approaches in computable general equilibrium (CGE) and microsimulation modelling to compute the economic costs associated with accelerated deployment of three transition policies in the electricity sector. The simulated policies include carbon taxes, carbon capping, and renewable energy feed-in-tariffs (REFITs). The simulated polices achieve decent growth in renewable electricity supply but with increasing adverse impacts on growth and welfare rapid penetration rates. Relatively, carbon tax has less adverse impact on welfare than carbon capping through revenue re-distribution. REFITs also make available revenue from ratepayers to fund renewable electricity production albeit accompanied by higher consumer welfare losses as REFITs increase. Finally, a tractable pathway is proposed with minimal impact of each policy option towards decarbonising the electricity sector in Ghana by 2030. xiv, 158p:, ill. 2024-04-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12052 Financial Inclusion, Digitization, and Resilience: A Global Comparative Analysis Dzoboku, Benjamin Financial inclusion (FI) is a crucial aspect of development, yet 1.4 billion individuals worldwide are still excluded as of 2021. The concept and measurement of financial inclusion remained keenly contested, and there is scanty research on why FI gender and locational gaps continue to persist. Thus, this study examined three objectives: (i) regional differences in the incidence of financial inclusion, (ii) factors causing FI gender and locational gaps, and (iii) the effect of digital financial inclusion on financial resilience. Data for the study was sourced from the Global Findex Database (2021), which contains over 140,000 individuals from 138 countries. Four main econometric techniques namely the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke methodology, general dominance analysis, Blinder-Oaxaca Decomposition and Multilevel probit model were used to address the objectives. Results show significant regional variations in the incidence of financial inclusion, with EAP and ECA regions as the best-performers while SA, MENA and SSA regions being the worst-performers. Again, the most important predictor of people being unbanked globally is that their family member already owns an account, and this factor alone contribute to nearly 43.0 percent of the explained variations in the unbanked. Employment, education, age, and location are the four key factors for closing FI gender and location gaps. Digital financial inclusion significantly stimulates financial resilience across all regions, but its effect is more pronounced in deprived regions like SA, MENA, and SSA. Based on these findings, the study among others, recommended that policymakers should strengthen digital infrastructure and regulatory frameworks to ensure inclusive and resilient financial systems. xvi, 211p:, ill. 2025-02-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/12038 Energy Transition, Health Outcomes and Climate Vulnerability in a Changing World Avorkpo, Eric Atsu The Sustainable Development Goals provide a vital framework for addressing global challenges. Notably, Target 7.2 aims to “increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix,” while Target 13.1 focuses on enhancing resilience to climate-related hazards. However, some countries may be unable to meet these targets due to the increasing devastation to the environment and public health concerns from energy consumption. This study investigates the often-neglected multifaceted relationships among energy transition, health outcomes, and climate vulnerability in a global context. Using a dataset of 150 countries from 2000 to 2021, this study examines the effects of the rate of energy transition on life expectancy, the extent to which climate vulnerability drives the rate of energy transition, and the drivers of climate vulnerability. This study uses the panel version of the Structural Equation Model, sequential dynamic linear panel data estimation, and a two-step system generalised method of moments. Air quality mediates 56.2% of the total effect of energy transition on life expectancy, while carbon dioxide emission mediates 5.68 times the total effect of energy transition. Climate readiness reduces the negative effects of climate vulnerability on energy transition, with economic readiness dominating the climate readiness component. These findings challenge the conventional notion that poorer countries pollute more by consuming fossil fuels. These results underscore the importance of enhancing air quality and reducing carbon dioxide emission through energy transition policies to improve health outcomes globally. Furthermore, the role of climate readiness in moderating the effects of climate vulnerability on energy transition emphasizes the need for comprehensive strategies that include economic, governance, and social dimensions to effectively address climate change. The findings also call for a re-evaluation of global climate policies, acknowledging the disproportionate vulnerabilities faced by lower-income countries despite their lower contributions to global pollution. xvi 257p:, ill 2024-10-01T00:00:00Z