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Famine in Ghana and Its Impact

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Handbook of Famine, Starvation, and Nutrient Deprivation

Abstract

In many developing countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, agriculture plays a central role in economic life. This was particularly true in Ghana during the early 1980s, as the sector employed a little over half of the total labor force and accounted for close to 60% of gross domestic product (GDP; World Development Indicators). In the absence of any irrigation, rainfall levels largely determined agricultural output and therefore the livelihoods of much of the population. While Ghana experienced droughts throughout its history, the 1981–1983 drought stands out for its severity. This chapter examines the origins of the drought and the resultant famine before tracing out its immediate and long-run consequences on a wide range of health outcomes.

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Abbreviations

CRS:

Catholic Relief Services

DHS:

Demographic and Health Survey

FAO:

Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations

GDP:

Gross Domestic Product

GEIES:

Ghana Education Impact Evaluation Survey

MCH:

Maternal and Child Health

NCHS:

National Center for Health Statistics

OCEAN:

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism

SSA:

Sub-Saharan Africa

WHO:

World Health Organization

USAID:

United States Agency for International Development

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics & Finance, College of Business and Public Administration, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA

    Chih Ming Tan

  2. Department of Economics, Clark University, Worcester, MA, USA

    Marc Rockmore

Authors
  1. Chih Ming Tan
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  2. Marc Rockmore
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chih Ming Tan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Diabetes & Nutritional Sci Div Sch, King's College London, London, United Kingdom

    Victor Preedy

  2. Clinical Biochemistry, University of Westminster, Westminster, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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Tan, C.M., Rockmore, M. (2018). Famine in Ghana and Its Impact. In: Preedy, V., Patel, V. (eds) Handbook of Famine, Starvation, and Nutrient Deprivation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40007-5_95-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40007-5_95-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-40007-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-40007-5

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