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Context and background Multidimensional Poverty (MP) considers poverty in multiple dimensions of deprivations such as health, education, energy, the standard of living and access to basic services. MP remains a major challenge in Africa, with a large proportion of the population living in MP. According to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Africa has shown the highest Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) having over 40% of its population living in MP. Goal and Objectives: This paper is a review, aimed at assessing the potential of the integration of satellite and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in mapping MP, with a specific focus on Africa. Methodology: Based on the reviews of past studies, the combination of satellite data such as nighttime light, daytime satellite imagery and high-resolution settlement data in combination with techniques such as field surveys, statistical correlation models (transfer learning) and AI (deep learning) has been applied in mapping MP. Results: The findings from studies show that the combination of satellite data and AI has the capability of providing more accurate and granular MP maps, compared to the traditional approach. Again, this paper explains the concept of MP with a specific focus on Africa and presents a map depicting the current MPI in African countries. Finally, pitfalls especially in the accuracy, granularity and frequency of MP data were identified. Consequently, the satellite and AI approaches are recommended for more accurate, frequent, cost-effective and granular data, required in mapping poverty and design of interventions that effectively address the needs of the vulnerable populations in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to examine the impact of urbanization and civil conflicts on the severity of food insecurity for a panel of 43 African countries over the period 2000–2020. Subsequently, the heterogeneous choice models approach was used for the estimations. The results show that urbanization and civil conflict increase food insecurity. The parallel line probability hypothesis results specifically show that a one‐unit increase in urban growth rate increases the probability of belonging to a high‐risk food insecurity category by more than.6 times. Furthermore, the results show that the impacts of urbanization on food insecurity are modulated by civil conflicts in Africa leading to the net effect of.692. This corresponds to the policy threshold of 2.315 when the net positive effect is canceled out. Therefore, this study strongly recommends the need for African economies to develop urban agriculture while controlling the pace of urbanization in order to reduce food insecurity and avoid possible civil wars. Related Articles: Asare‐Nuamah, Peter, Anthony Amoah, and Simplice A. Asongu. 2023. "Achieving Food Security in Ghana: Does Governance Matter?" Politics & Policy 51(4): 614–35. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12540. Ayanoore, Ishmael, and Sam Hickey. 2022. "Reframing the Politics of Natural Resource Governance in Africa: Insights from the Local Content Legislation Process in Ghana." Politics & Policy 50(1): 119–36. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12449. Oehmke, James F., Sera L. Young, Godfrey Bahiigwa, Boaz Blackie Keizire, and Lori Ann Post. 2018. "The Behavioral‐Economics Basis of Mutual Accountability to Achieve Food Security." Politics & Policy 46(1): 32–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12244. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his theory on delinking, Amin shows how Africa is linked to global Capital. For Amin, it is in this link that Africa's underdevelopment resides. An important element in this linking process is the role that the comprador bourgeoisie plays in its relationship with global Capital, which facilitates the continued underdevelopment of Africa. Amin raises the question of the role that the African comprador bourgeoisie played as agents of imperialism in keeping Africa linked to Europe. From this standpoint, Amin presents the possibility of approaching Africa's underdevelopment from another dimension – the possibility of exploring Africa's underdevelopment as an internally driven process initiated by home-grown African capitalists who accumulate for their own account. Extending the logic of the comprador bourgeoisie, this paper argues that Capital in Africa is responsible for internal under development. African Capital too, together with international Capital consciously participates in under developing Africa. We argue that internal underdevelopment is based on a capitalist logic that contains all the standard phenomena associated with Capital, namely, inequality, unemployment, and poverty. Furthermore, exploring the rise of our case studies, viz; the Dangotes, Motsepes, and the Dos Santos', we show how instrumental each of them are in the internal underdevelopment of Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spate of terrorism and security threats in West African States, explains the foundational causes and consequences of terrorism in the sub-region of Africa. The research also recommends some possible solutions to terrorism and security threats in the affected West African States. There are many reasons for terrorist‘s attacks as some attribute it to poor economic conditions which are consistent with the popular theory of deprivation and poverty; low education attainment, and historical events such as slavery and ethnic conflicts which have also been used to explain terrorism, however, there are studies that suggest otherwise. The structural theory of poverty by Brady (2003) references, crosssectional and temporal variations in structural components of terrorism. Although the characteristics of terrorism have been changing in recent times, its primary objective is still to impose political and economic pressure on a government so that it concedes to the demands of the terrorist group. The more challenging problem, however, is that the motivation for terrorism in a resource rich, West African States could be confounded by additional dimensions, such as resource competition, ethnic fractionalization and economic deprivation; all of which interact to make the situation more intricate to understand or deal with, especially because of the relatively lower capacity of a typical developing economy to confront the increasing sophistication of terrorist activities. Hence, the consequences of terrorism in such environments are likely to extend beyond the destruction of lives and properties to longer term macroeconomic impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the trade–peace nexus in Africa and ascertains how poverty and inequality tilt the relationship in the eight regional (economic) blocs in Africa, viz. the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN–SAD), the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), from 1998 to 2020 using the Driscoll–Kraay estimate. The study contributes to the literature by disaggregating the peace effect of trade in Africa by the regional (economic) blocs to allow for in‐depth and context‐specific analysis. The paper also expands the scope of existing studies by examining the direct effect of poverty and inequality on peace in addition to the indirect effect that is revealed through their interactions with trade integrations. The findings reveal that trade promotes peace in Africa, while wide income inequality and a large poverty gap increase the likelihood of conflict. The interaction of poverty and inequality with trade integration shows that while the poverty level does not improve the effect of trade on peace, inequality reduces the impact of trade on peace. The study concludes that poverty and inequality play significant roles in the trade–peace nexus in Africa. Policy recommendations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over 25 years, new programs to attempt to stem the HIV epidemic have been developed in Africa by country governments as well as external donors. These programs and activities have built and operated facilities, trained clinicians, financed drugs and commodities, supported and helped finance government health planning and operations, and contributed in other ways. Who has benefited from this massive mobilization? While some single country and narrowly focused studies have been done, the issue of equity of HIV programs for vulnerable populations has not been examined in a large set of countries. Using Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA) data, we examine equity of the HIV programs in 13 African countries to determine if vulnerable groups (such as those with low wealth, rural populations, young adults, and females) have achieved comparable levels of access to HIV program services. In contrast, we also compare the equity of the HIV response to rural and low-wealth populations with the equity of corresponding domestic health systems using Demographic and Health Survey data. This study found that in over half of the countries, the HIV response indicators were equitable for vulnerable population segments including the low-wealth population (in seven countries) and rural population segment (in nine countries). In no country was the domestic health system equitable for these two groups. However, HIV programming does show some clear patterns of inequity for low-wealth and rural populations in some countries. For gender and young adults, the HIV response indicators show that in all 13 countries men and young adults are consistently underserved relative to their counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This conceptual research study exploited secondary data to interrogate the effects of the poverty penalty on rural education in Southern Africa during the COVID- 19 pandemic. The study exploited Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory as its bedrock for analysis. The study established that the intended measures that were meant to contain the deadly virus resulted in a plethora of poverty-related challenges. Besides the existing poor, the situation created the new poor, particularly in rural areas. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the poverty penalty, in which, despite their struggle, the poor were required to pay more for education, food, health, and other social services. This translated to dropout, malnutrition, poor health, increased gender inequality and eventually underachievement by the rural learner. The study recommends that in future, accurate information regarding the needy should be carefully gathered to provide safety nets to the new poor and the existing vulnerable groups. Moreover, stronger forethought in preparedness and social policies should be in place to cater for the vulnerable in the case of future emergencies in areas like education, food security, health, and gender services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the last 25 years, conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs have become popular assistance policies across Latin America, Africa, and Asia for combating poverty and building human capital. Despite some success in reaching these goals, questions remain about the wider political effects of CCTs on individuals and communities, especially when considering gendered relationships and the institutions in the countries where CCTs are in place. Objective: I investigate the relationship between cash transfers and political participation, while also considering the importance of moderating forces such as gender, program enforcement, and compulsory voting. Methods: I use data from AmericasBarometer sourced from the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) and a series of multilevel models to examine the association between CCTs and a wide set of participatory indicators. Results: I show CCTs to be robustly associated with higher levels of participation broadly conceived. Results also demonstrate gender and institutional features such as enforced conditions and compulsory voting can attenuate the positive effects of transfers, depending on the form of participation considered. Conclusion: Overall, CCTs tend to be strongly associated with political participation. However, CCTs may also reinforce gendered norms of political participation and engagement. Furthermore, the potentially negative associations regarding the enforcement of program conditions are valuable to consider when evaluating the downstream, democratic potential of cash transfer programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores poverty dimensions and negative experiences of households living in secondary cities of Kenya with the aim of understanding the determinants of the willingness to pay to access water services. Our findings suggest that negative experiences of households related to poor access to water, like water crises, water borne diseases, and daily time to fetch water, seem to play an important role. Conversely, poverty dimensions are not necessarily influential. More specifically, while daily income of the household is an important factor, other variables, namely, education, food shortages, and access to information do not have significant effects. Our evidence suggests that to raise the awareness of this public good's value, local governments should focus on improving citizens' information especially in poor areas, as well as the ability to pay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty is one of Africa's most intractable problems. Decades of deliberate and strategic socioeconomic policies have not yielded considerable concrete results to eradicate it. Upon succeeding the brutal colonial administration, the burgeoning African governments promised their citizens material well-being through socioeconomic development. A half century later the continent is perpetually witnessing a blatant betrayal of dreams. Just like the African governments that succeeded colonial governments, religious organizations continue to promise poverty eradication by divine means to their adherents, whose numbers keep exploding across the continent. The Pentecostal variant of African Christianity is particularly renowned for its promises of wealth, health, and prosperity through supernatural divine power: in the Bible, God has promised to deliver immense material goods to those who believe in Jesus Christ. The expediency of these promises to alleviate poverty and bring about social transformation is debatable. Some scholars argue that African Pentecostalism is an elaborately complex increase in religious activities devoid of social structural transformation, while others opine that it contributes positively to development. In asking whether African Pentecostal Christianity is a move toward or a distraction from development, this article broadly explores discourses on Pentecostalism and development in Africa. Arguably, in the endeavor to preach and live out the experiential power of the Holy Spirit, Pentecostal Christianity in Africa inadvertently plays a role in the broader ongoing development discourse. Although they do not view themselves as 'religious' or 'religion', Pentecostal churches' attempts to make the teachings of Jesus Christ relevant to the mundane help individual believers cope with life's stresses and vulnerabilities. However, it does not transform the social conditions that create problems for individuals. The liberating hope of African Pentecostal Christianity lies in theologically nuancing its discourses to meaningfully engage in global development discourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like in the rest of the world, the vision for the future of agriculture in the developing world is highly contested. At the centre of this oft-polarized debate, a growing constituency of advocates suggests a large-scale shift to agroecology as the key to transforming Africa's agriculture. Yet, this rhetoric is not only quixotic in its vision for an African agricultural revolution but also profoundly dissociated from the realities of African agriculture. If the aim is to revolutionize African agriculture, rigid philosophical fixations on an idealized farming system are not the answer. For resource-poor farmers looking to lift themselves out of poverty in Africa and the rest of the developing world, such a narrative will only protract the status quo. Most crucially, it represents a pathway that stands to drive them deeper into poverty. Agricultural transformation in the developing world requires a pragmatic outlook, one that leverages the best of agroecology and modern agricultural solutions for smallholder farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reciprocity and negativity in social relationships are fundamental topics of social research rarely examined in sub‐Saharan Africa. Since the number and quality of relationships is associated with individual outcomes, these ties are particularly important in impoverished areas. We conducted a multi‐method study of the conditions associated with problematic networks and difficult people, including face‐to‐face surveys in Agbogbloshie (Accra, Ghana) and Kangemi (Nairobi, Kenya). While one quarter of all relationships were perceived to be difficult, results reveal significant differences between the two communities in terms of the composition of personal networks and the factors associated with difficulty at both relational and network levels of analysis. Kenyan networks are more difficult when there is an imbalance of assistance provided by the respondent (exploitation), while any imbalance (inequality) is problematic in Ghanaian networks. These findings underscore the importance of independent analyses of negative ties and difficult networks, contributing to a community‐based understanding of poverty in urban slums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Success in fighting poverty in Africa will largely depend on the extent to which rural poverty is reduced as it is largely a rural phenomenon. By examining the rural development strategies of the East African Community, Economic Community of West African States and the Association of South East Asian Nations, the purpose of this study was to determine their relationship to rural poverty reduction. The Rural Development Strategy Soundness Model and Rural Web Model tools were used to examine the soundness and cohesiveness of implementation, respectively. The results showed that rural poverty declined where a rural development strategy had both been sound and cohesively implemented. We concluded that a positive correlation exists between a sound and cohesively implemented rural development strategy and rural poverty reduction. We deduced from this that the former is a missing link in Africa's fight against rural poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the linkages between moral categorisations on the international economic order and the dysfunctions that negate efforts at combating the Africa-Nigeria poverty conditions in the contemporary period. Drawing from the thesis of Ha-Joon Chang's 'Bad Samaritans', it analyses the contradictions in the often-repeated declarations on 'fight against poverty' in Nigeria and the endemic dysfunctions in leadership and institutions that ought to play significant roles in understanding and recalibrating the hegemonic influence of wealthy nations who control the global economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The federal solution has been widely discussed in relation to political systems where the articulation of major cleavages, differences, and pluralities threatens political integration and stability. The relationship between conflict, development, and federalism, however, has been poorly accounted for in the literature on federalism. Existing theories about the utilitarian value of federalism thus face serious challenges, especially with respect to post‐colonial Africa. The relationship between conflict, economic development, and federalism in the African context needs to be carefully examined from the perspective of governance, as well as the impact they have on society‐state relations. This article discusses the impact of ethno‐linguistic, ethno‐regional, and ethno‐religious conflicts on economic development in Nigeria – informed by the inequalities, insecurity, and poverty prevalent in the country – and examines the relevance of the federal solution for mitigating such centrifugal pressures as well as other divisive and violent tendencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review examines the nexus of poverty, malnutrition and diseases in Africa, the challenges, implications and their mitigation. The paper takes a critical look at available literatures on the primary causes, modes, implications and solutions to the problems of poverty, malnutrition and diseases in Africa continent. Poverty and malnutrition are outcomes of uncontrolled rapid population growth, inefficient agricultural and industrial practices, high debt profile of many African countries due to poor governance and corruption, diseases such as AIDS epidemic, malaria, Ebola virus and COVID-19 pandemic, poor and inadequate health infrastructure and armed conflicts. African poverty scenario entails non-availability of basic human needs which makes many Africans to be very poor. Despite abundance of natural resources, the gross domestic product per capita of many African countries is among the lowest of list of nations of the world. According United Nation in 2009, 22 of 24 nations among the "Low Human Development" nations of the world on the UN's Human Development Index were found in sub-Saharan Africa. Out of the 50 countries on the United Nation list of least developed countries, 34 of them were in Africa. According to FAO data over 200 million people in sub-Saharan Africa were undernourished in 2014-2016. The prevalence of undernourishment in sub-Saharan Africa rose from 181 million in 2010 to 222 million in 2016. In 2016, Africa had the highest prevalence of undernourishment in the world and estimated to be 20% of the population. While this was alarming in Eastern Africa where one-third of the population is suspected to be undernourished. In a similar data, World Bank also found that sub-Saharan Africa Poverty and Equity Data was 47% with over 500 million people in abject poverty in 2012. Poverty is the major cause of hunger and malnutrition in Africa while hunger and malnutrition escalated the problem of diseases in African continent. Poverty has continued to torment Africa as a result of poor and harmful economic policies, conflict and war, environmental factors like drought and climate change and population growth, poor leadership and greed. With the advent of COVID-19, the problem of poverty, malnutrition and diseases has been escalated and in many African countries people find it difficult to make ends meet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using monthly data, this article examines the influence of Covid-19 on poverty, inequality, well-being, and environmental quality for a sample of 14 African economies from 2018 to 2020. To do so, we employ a GMM approach to look at the influence of the pandemic on achieving the SDGs in Africa. According to our empirical findings, the pandemic significantly impacts poverty and pollution levels. The results show also that the pandemic coefficient considerably influences the inequality proxy. Due to social exclusion and inequities, these economies must embrace an integrated socio-economic vision to overcome the multi-faceted pandemic externalities and build more resilient economies.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African neo-Pentecostal prophets (NPPs) use their prophetic rituals like deliverance services and anointed objects such as anointed oil, to bring God's presence to people to empower their human agency (power to act) and transcendence (power to overcome). This use of prophetic systems prompts the question: What does the NPPs' teaching that Africans need prophetic rituals and anointed objects for God to empower their agency and transcendence communicate about God's presence in Africa? A further question that emerges is: How can Christian doctrines like God's transcendence (divine beyondness) and immanence (divine nearness) address the African reliance on NPPs' prophetic systems for God's power to exercise their human agency and transcendence to confront their context of poverty? Consequently, this article uses the doctrine of God's transcendence and immanence to evaluate the implications of NPPs' prophetic systems to empower Africans to act and overcome their undesirable situations in Africa. The article challenges NPPs to realise that the transcendent God is fully immanent in poor Africa and that poverty in Africa is not caused by the lack of God's presence but evil socioeconomic and political structures that hinder the poor from exercising their human agency and transcendence. The contribution of the article is challenging African NPPs to be informed by a sound doctrine of God in their attempts to empower poor Africans to deal with their poverty. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article uses insights from the doctrine of God and African traditional religious (ATR) view of God to critique the use of NPPs' rituals and anointed objects to empower African human agency and transcendence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Views of the poor are based on data from western countries not developing nations. How are the poor viewed in Africa? We focus on how identities shape views of the poor in Africa, and conduct a series of field experiments in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Senegal randomly selecting respondents using a multi-stage cluster sampling strategy. Our total sample includes 851 respondents that evaluated randomized profiles of a single-vignette of a person living in poverty. Results indicate that the poor are more likely to be seen as unlucky, and in some cases deserving of government assistance, if they were born into poverty, have limited education, and are female. Shared identities associated with class and ethnicity increase the chances of being viewed as unlucky and deserving of assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We use the method of conjoint experiments to study subjective experiences of the 'new middle classes' in Africa. • The often-observed tendency of respondents to overreport membership in the middle of subjective class ladders is reduced in the experiment. • Income can serve as a proxy for subjective class status. However, non-monetary dimensions like assets, education, or work type also matter. • Perceptions of 'middle-classness' often overlap with relatively severe experiences of economic insecurity. Africa's so-called 'new middle classes' are receiving increasing attention. So far, much of this debate has been based on 'objective' criteria like household income or asset wealth. This article follows an emerging literature that asks Africans directly how they perceive class differences in their societies. In doing so we engage with the inherent multidimensionality of class experiences, which makes it harder for respondents to distinguish their own and others' class status and to determine which indicators should enter into a socially meaningful conceptualization of class. The article innovates by addressing these challenges with the help of a factorial or 'conjoint' experiment. Conjoint experiments are well suited for analyzing complex multidimensional phenomena like class because they allow researchers to distinguish the separate effects of individual treatment components on outcomes such as perceived class status. Using primary survey data from Kenya, we find that the shift to the experimental setting reduces respondents' problems to distinguish people's class status, especially at the middle of the socio-economic ladder. The analysis also shows that income can serve as a useful proxy for subjective class. Nonetheless, other non-monetary dimensions like assets, education, or employment type also enter with small but statistically significant effects. Finally, we find that perceptions of 'middle-classness' often overlap with relatively severe experiences of economic insecurity. This latter result suggests that Western concepts of economically secure middle classes should not be uncritically applied to a lower-income region like Africa. The results hold across a range of robustness and external validity tests using Kenyan and multi-country Afrobarometer survey data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding bureaucratic corruption in access to public services and exit mechanisms particularly for the poor remains a core question in the economics of corruption literature. This paper examines the role of social networks in easing bureaucratic corruption in the demand for public services, using a bivariate ordered probit model and the sixth wave of the Afrobarometer survey from 36 African countries between 2014–2015. The main results suggest that not all citizens are victims of corrupt public officials, as social networks serve as substitutes or potential exit options out of corruption. However, individuals who face multiple deprivations lack access to public services as they are not able to use their social networks to ease access. Individuals who do not face difficulties in accessing public services employ social networks as complements to their corrupt acts to "get ahead". We discuss these findings in line with poverty eradication strategies and anti-corruption policies in Africa. • Corruption hinders public service access in Africa but not all citizens are victims. • Officials are likely to be more corrupt than citizens in demanding public services. • Corruption eases the poor's access to public services in Africa • Civic networks serve as an exit option from corruption, and a way to "get ahead". • Poverty eradication and anti-corruption are key for service access for the deprived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the belief that no country in the world can develop without a strong industrial sector, African leaders have consistently stressed the importance of industrialization for sustainable development. Despite the benefits of industrialization, Africa remains the least industrialized region in the world. Moreover, this is the region where the problem of energy poverty is most acute, with the lowest levels of access to and consumption of electricity. Thus, this study analyzes the effect of energy poverty on industrialization in a sample of 44 African countries. Using the two-step system Generalized Method of Moments, empirical results resilient to a set of robustness checks consistently show that reducing energy poverty is a necessary condition for the industrialization of African countries. Through a mediation analysis, this study identifies human capital and income as some channels through which the reduction of energy poverty favors the industrialization of African countries. The conclusions of this study have the main implication of inviting African decision-makers to improve the effectiveness of the various national and sub-regional initiatives aimed at guaranteeing access to clean, reliable, and modern energy for all in order to foster the industrialization of African economies. • The study analyzes the effect of energy poverty on industrialization in 44 African countries. • Static and dynamic panel estimation techniques are used. • Results suggest that energy poverty impedes industrialization. • Human capital, and income are some transmission channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan's paradigm shift in foreign policy to geo-economics, necessitates that Islamabad look for opportunities within and outside the region to utilise its geographic and economic potential. This new policy shift makes the African region a key area of significance for Pakistan, owing to the huge trade and market potential of the region. The adoption of 'Look Africa Policy' by Pakistan is a key step. This paper aims to explore the options and opportunities for Pakistan in the African region. It analyses these opportunities and associated challenges in the light of economic diplomacy framework. The paper argues that Pakistan requires active diplomatic engagement at public and private levels both, to boost trade and economic relationship with African region for the mutual economic benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synopsis: Open access publishing remains a challenge in Africa due to poverty and poor research funding. There is a need for global action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the study is to examine the impact of financial inclusion on poverty, income inequality and financial stability using panel data of 54 African countries. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve this objective, the current study used multiple regressions across an unbalanced panel data of 54 African countries which are based on the four years mean value for the period 2001–2019. Findings: The results show that financial inclusion (FI) is a valuable indicator; it reduces poverty, income inequality and improves financial stability. Research limitations/implications: The study invokes the attention of government and policymakers to build up a financially inclusive system which, in turn, leads to improve financial stability and lower poverty and income inequality. They should focus on quality and sustainable financial products and services in terms of financial inclusion to avoid dominant accounts and ensure consumer protection. Originality/value: This adds to the scarce literature on the impact of financial inclusion on poverty, income inequality and financial stability in the context of African countries. The study contributes to the literature on the issue of financial inclusion and poverty, income inequality and financial stability by reconfirming (or otherwise) findings of previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on 2022 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Topics include future of life on earth, characterised by ecosystem collapse, species extinction, and climate hazards such as heatwaves and floods; and call for urgent action in ensuring the COP finally delivering the climate justice for Africa and vulnerable countries.

Africa's infrastructure endowments have increased recently, including; transportation, electricity, Information and Communications Technology, and water and sanitation. Meanwhile, while poverty rates have fallen in other regions, such as Asia, they have risen in Africa. This research sought to assess: (a) the influences of infrastructure on poverty and (b) how infrastructure has moderated the impacts of income inequality, urbanisation, education, employment, and environmental quality on poverty. The findings from the generalized method of moments estimator for 40 African economies between 2003 and 2020 showed that infrastructure development reduced poverty. Various types of infrastructure development indices produced the same results. When a composite infrastructure development index was used, a positive impact on poverty was further confirmed. Additionally, developing infrastructure in SSA will strengthen the positive effects of; education, employment, and environmental quality on poverty. Additionally, the development of the infrastructure sector in the region will mitigate income inequality and urbanisation's negative effects on poverty. Based on this study's results, a discussion of policy implications has been provided. • It was aimed to determine how infrastructure can reduce poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). • It was hypothesized that infrastructure can reduce poverty in SSA through a number of mechanisms. • The findings showed that infrastructure development reduced poverty in SSA. • Development of infrastructure will enhance poverty reduction via education, employment, and environment. • The development of the infrastructure will mitigate income inequality and urbanisation's negative effects on poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper examines whether there is a threshold between financial development and poverty in African economies. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts the innovative dynamic panel threshold model of Seo and Shin (2016) made practicable by Seo et al. (2019)–the model estimates threshold relationship even in the presence of endogeneity. Also, following the recommendations of Cihak et al. (2013) and Sahay et al. (2015), we also adopt a robust measure of financial development based on the four pillars of financial deepening, stability, efficiency and access derived from the principal component analysis (PCA). Findings: The empirical results show that there exists a threshold level of financial development necessary for poverty reduction in Africa. Research limitations/implications: Our result is important for policy formulations. First, individual African country must discover the level of financial development necessary for spurring poverty reduction. Second, policymakers, especially in lower-income countries, must keep improving their financial sector development to achieve the threshold level necessary for achieving poverty reduction even though financial development might seem less relevant at its present level. Practical implications: The policymakers in Africa should note that there exists a threshold level of financial development that reduces poverty. Hence, the present level of financial development might have not yielded a considerate effect on poverty. Still, the policymakers must keep pushing on until the threshold is achieved. Social implications: Financial development reduces poverty level but it must reach a certain threshold level before it does so. So, we advise African policymakers to continue to develop their financial sector to achieve this threshold. Originality/value: This seems to be the first work to document the threshold relationship using the dynamic panel threshold. Besides, the study specifically concentrates on Africa dividing the continent into different income levels. Moreover, we adopt a robust measure of financial development unlike extant studies on Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper examines whether there is a threshold between financial development and poverty in African economies. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts the innovative dynamic panel threshold model of Seo and Shin (2016) made practicable by Seo et al. (2019)–the model estimates threshold relationship even in the presence of endogeneity. Also, following the recommendations of Cihak et al. (2013) and Sahay et al. (2015), we also adopt a robust measure of financial development based on the four pillars of financial deepening, stability, efficiency and access derived from the principal component analysis (PCA). Findings: The empirical results show that there exists a threshold level of financial development necessary for poverty reduction in Africa. Research limitations/implications: Our result is important for policy formulations. First, individual African country must discover the level of financial development necessary for spurring poverty reduction. Second, policymakers, especially in lower-income countries, must keep improving their financial sector development to achieve the threshold level necessary for achieving poverty reduction even though financial development might seem less relevant at its present level. Practical implications: The policymakers in Africa should note that there exists a threshold level of financial development that reduces poverty. Hence, the present level of financial development might have not yielded a considerate effect on poverty. Still, the policymakers must keep pushing on until the threshold is achieved. Social implications: Financial development reduces poverty level but it must reach a certain threshold level before it does so. So, we advise African policymakers to continue to develop their financial sector to achieve this threshold. Originality/value: This seems to be the first work to document the threshold relationship using the dynamic panel threshold. Besides, the study specifically concentrates on Africa dividing the continent into different income levels. Moreover, we adopt a robust measure of financial development unlike extant studies on Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the Farmer Input Subsidy Program (FISP) in Southern Africa. The FISPs are part of agricultural support by governments providing input subsidies to small-scale farmers from public resources. FISPs are intended to reduce the production costs of small-scale farmers. Rural women members of the Rural Women's Assembly (RWA) in Southern Africa argue that the FISP is captured by the global agro-industry and that the FISP, far from providing real support to farmers, advances a green-revolution agenda and has become a tool of the political elites and MNCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Writing from an African and philosophical position, we argue that intellectual activists require an unfoldment, because they have been hindered by different factors such as co-option and exile. The African philosophy of ubuntu, particularly its epistemic dimension, is used as the basis for unfoldment. We depart from the justified but extremely combative critique of (neo)colonialism, and posit that there is the potential to solve African problems without perpetually blaming colonialism. Using the African Renaissance theory, we emphasise a shift towards becoming better through development and by analysing the question of poverty. Poverty is worsened by development policies, which often remain unchallenged. African philosophy can simultaneously fight colonial discourses on Africa while contributing towards human well-being by situating intellectual activism in the African condition of poverty. Intellectual activists should participate, together with citizens, in the formulation of relevant and practical policies. This requires a reframing of the intellectual landscape in order to stimulate a participatory intellectual project. It enables alternative understandings of what it means to be an intellectual, beyond the usual role of writer. Reframing intellectual activism offers an opportunity to use indigenous languages to make sense of local and lived realities on the ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about the relationship between sarcopenia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).Objective: This study aimed to investigate this association among community-dwelling adults aged≥65 years from six LMICs.Methods: Cross-sectional, nationally representative data from the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) were analyzed. These data were obtained in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa in 2007-2010. Participants were considered to have sarcopenia if they had low skeletal muscle mass (i.e., lower skeletal mass index) and a weak handgrip strength. MCI was defined using the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association criteria. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess associations.Results: The final analytical sample consisted of 12,912 individuals aged≥65 years with preservation in functional abilities without stroke (mean [standard deviation] age 72.2 [10.8] years; 45.2% males). The overall prevalence of sarcopenia and MCI were 11.3% and 18.1%, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, there was a positive association between sarcopenia and MCI in all countries (i.e., odds ratio [OR] > 1) with the exception of South Africa, and the overall estimate was OR = 1.60 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.32-1.93) with a low level of between-country heterogeneity (I2 = 0.0%).Conclusion: There was a positive association between sarcopenia and MCI in this sample of older adults living in LMICs. Causality should be assessed in future longitudinal research, while the utility of sarcopenia as a marker of MCI should also be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have a strong negative impact on African countries. This is due to the fact that poverty has reduced the ability of these countries to implement health measures that are necessary to address the pandemic. In this article, I contend that colonialism has a role to play in this reduced ability to respond to the current crisis. Hence I argue that Ubuntu ethics imposes responsibility on European governments to aid Africans during this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines income poverty in Africa by looking at the time series properties of the series corresponding to the household consumer expenditures in 53 African countries. Using fractional integration the results indicate that the series are highly persistent, displaying orders of integration in the interval (0, 1) in some countries or values equal to or higher than 1 in some others. The main implication of the empirical findings is that long term policies aimed at addressing income poverty in the continent such as the policies on expansion of infrastructure and social amenities will have have long-lasting effects on poverty reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

13 years after the first Lancet Series on maternal and child undernutrition, we reviewed the progress achieved on the basis of global estimates and new analyses of 50 low-income and middle-income countries with national surveys from around 2000 and 2015. The prevalence of childhood stunting has fallen, and linear growth faltering in early life has become less pronounced over time, markedly in middle-income countries but less so in low-income countries. Stunting and wasting remain public health problems in low-income countries, where 4·7% of children are simultaneously affected by both, a condition associated with a 4·8-times increase in mortality. New evidence shows that stunting and wasting might already be present at birth, and that the incidence of both conditions peaks in the first 6 months of life. Global low birthweight prevalence declined slowly at about 1·0% a year. Knowledge has accumulated on the short-term and long-term consequences of child undernutrition and on its adverse effect on adult human capital. Existing data on vitamin A deficiency among children suggest persisting high prevalence in Africa and south Asia. Zinc deficiency affects close to half of all children in the few countries with data. New evidence on the causes of poor growth points towards subclinical inflammation and environmental enteric dysfunction. Among women of reproductive age, the prevalence of low body-mass index has been reduced by half in middle-income countries, but trends in short stature prevalence are less evident. Both conditions are associated with poor outcomes for mothers and their children, whereas data on gestational weight gain are scarce. Data on the micronutrient status of women are conspicuously scarce, which constitutes an unacceptable data gap. Prevalence of anaemia in women remains high and unabated in many countries. Social inequalities are evident for many forms of undernutrition in women and children, suggesting a key role for poverty and low education, and reinforcing the need for multisectoral actions to accelerate progress. Despite little progress in some areas, maternal and child undernutrition remains a major global health concern, particularly as improvements since 2000 might be offset by the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Between 2000 and 2020, Europe experienced an annual net arrival of approximately 1.6 million immigrants per year. While having lower mortality rates, in the setting of severe diseases, immigrants bear a greater cancer-related burden due to linguistic and cultural barriers and socio-economic conditions. Professionals face a two-fold task: managing clinical conditions while considering the social, economic, cultural, and spiritual sphere of patients and their families. In this regard, little is known about the care provision to low-income immigrant cancer patients in real contexts. Aim: To investigate the perspective of professionals, family members, and stakeholders on the caring process of low-income immigrant cancer patients at the end of life. Design: A Constructivist Grounded Theory study. Setting/participants: The study, conducted at a Hospital in Northern Italy, involved 27 participants among health professionals, family caregivers, and other stakeholders who had recently accompanied immigrant cancer patients in their terminal phase of illness. Results: Findings evidenced that professionals feel they were not adequately trained to cope with immigrant cancer patients, nonetheless, they were highly committed in providing the best care they could, rushing against the (short) time the patients have left. Analyses evidenced four main categories: "providing and receiving hospitality," "understanding each other," "addressing diversity," and "around the patient," which we conceptualized under the core category "Achieve the best while rushing against time." Conclusions: The model reveals the activation of empathic and compassionate behavior by professionals. It evidences the need for empowering professionals with cultural competencies by employing interpreters and specific training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 21st century has witnessed a surge in international remittance flows by almost 300% between 2000 and 2009. Total remittance inflow to Sub-Saharan Africa was US$34.8 billion in 2015, out of which Nigeria received US$20 billion; making it the highest remittance recipient in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, poverty incidence in Nigeria remains prominent as it rose from 51.5% in 2004 to 56.5% in 2010. At the same time, there is substantial emigration from Nigeria, and this could be linked to the high incidence of poverty. One of the primary motives for emigration is to send remittances home to alleviate poverty. Previous studies have considered this nexus in a partial equilibrium setting which is often marred by endogeneity bias. This makes the use of an economywide general equilibrium framework where the interaction between multiple agents, markets and institutions are captured and potential reverse causation is addressed more appropriate. Against this backdrop, this study conducts an empirical investigation of the impact of international remittance inflows on poverty in Nigeria. A computable general equilibrium model in which policy scenarios that reflect changes in remittances is calibrated. Findings reveal that a negative remittance shock led to an increase in poverty while a positive remittance shock led to a reduction in poverty. The effect of remittance shocks on poverty is transmitted through the income and consumption channels with the effect on the latter being more pronounced. The results underscore the role of remittances in smoothening consumption and ameliorating poverty in Nigeria. Therefore, the findings make a case for policies that facilitate the flow of remittances more reliably and at the lowest cost, development of remittance-related products (i.e. savings, insurance contribution for social protection) and better access to financial and business services that can stimulate the economy. In addition, a set of important structural and financial reforms that minimize cost-related inefficiencies such as weak infrastructure, low competition and financial regulation constraints need to be addressed. The study concludes that remittances cannot be exclusively relied upon for ameliorating poverty, rather it should be used to complement other policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the plight of urban poor African immigrants from the perspective of the right to food (food availability, accessibility and adequacy) for everyone during the COVID-19 in South Africa. Despite their disrupted sources of livelihood, the majority of the African immigrants are without a social welfare safety net and have little hope of benefiting from the Government relief packages. Consequently, it seems that the increase in the triple burden of food insecurity, poverty and malnutrition compounded with social injustice and income inequality is inevitable for the urban poor African immigrants in South Africa. Even though the Government may not have the capacity to address food insecurity by itself, the Government should endeavour to make the limited resources to access food equally available to all with no social injustice. By working hand in hand with foreign national associations, township councillors and other stakeholders, such as the food banks and faith-based organisations, that have stepped forward to try and bridge the widening incapacity of the Government to feed the food insecure, the nexus of food insecurity and social injustice of African immigrants will be alleviated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antenatal care (ANC) can improve maternal health. We examined associations of individual and community socioeconomic status (SES) with the quality of ANC in West and Central Africa. Data were from the 2009–2011 UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys for women in seven countries (n = 24,718). Individual SES variables included women's education and wealth; community SES was defined as low or high poverty index. ANC quality was defined as receiving six services: blood pressure monitoring, blood tests, urine tests, malaria prophylaxis, tetanus vaccine, and HIV screening, and coded low or high. We used multilevel logistic regression to estimate fixed and random effects of individual and community SES on ANC quality. Less than one-fourth of women received high-quality ANC. Only small percentages of women had malaria prophylaxis and were counseled and tested for HIV. In adjusted country-stratified results, living in a poor community was associated with reduced odds of receiving high-quality ANC in six countries (Central African Republic: odds ratio, OR = 0.76; 95% confidence interval, CI:0.58–0.98; Chad: OR = 0.48; CI:0.32–0.74; Ghana: OR = 0.86; CI:0.61–0.97; Nigeria: OR = 0.74; CI:0.61–0.92; Sierra Leone: OR = 0.71; CI:0.57–0.91; and Togo: OR = 0.80; CI:0.47–0.91). The health system may be missing important opportunities to provide high-quality ANC and, thereby, improve pregnancy outcomes in these settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is analyzing labor inequalities in Africa, Asia and Mexico. The statistical estimation model is presented to analyze gender inequality in access to high employment positions in the public and private spheres. Scientific concern leads to the following question: What is the probability among men and women of holding high positions in some countries in Asia and Africa, compared to the Mexican case? As the conclusion, it is observed that despite the differences, there is a common pattern of inequalities between men and women in access to high jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Acute and chronic lead exposures from cottage industries in Africa are highlighted. • Lead poisoning outbreaks at community and household level are described. • Health and safety regulations for those working in cottage industries is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]