The Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Otiko Afisah Djaba, has admitted that poverty is still high in the three regions of the north despite the up-scaling of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty programme (LEAP).
According to her, poverty remains a major obstacle to the growth of most rural dwellers for which reason Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies must up their game in the area of poverty eradication.
Otiko Afisah Djaba was addressing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) as well as their Coordinating Directors at a workshop in the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region.
She maintained that the LEAP alone cannot reduce poverty levels in the three regions of the north.
“A chunk of the cash grants given to the LEAP beneficiaries went to the three regions of the north and I implore Metropolitan, Municipal and District Executives to see LEAP as an important tool that could move Ghana Beyond Aid.”
“Currently, LEAP has covered all 254 MMDAs nationwide with 213, 044 beneficiary households which translate into about 937, 907 individuals. Women constitute 56 percent while men constitute 44 percent.”
In giving the regional breakdown she said, “Out of the 213, 044 households, the Upper West has 38,133 households, Upper East 31,061 households, and Northern Region has 43,173 households. When you put all of them together, it is 112, 367 households. That means half of the LEAP beneficiaries are in the Northern Region, Upper West and Upper East regions.”
Otiko Afisah Djaba asked the MMDCEs to intensify their partnership with her Ministry and the Ghana Health Service to extend healthcare to all LEAP beneficiaries.
She suggested periodic screening of beneficiaries to identify and treat those suffering from diabetes, breast cancer, sight problems and blood pressure.
The LEAP Manager, Seth Kwakye Amofa, said government has so far spent Ghc17 million on over 200, 000 beneficiaries nationwide.
“The figure is being scaled up to 456,000 by the end of 2018.”
Seth Kwakye Amofa said there was an increase in enrollment and retention, and free registration of over 100,000 beneficiaries under the National Health Insurance Scheme.
The LEAP is a cash transfer programme for poorest households in Ghana.
It seeks to assist the poorest families with basic needs including food, improved health and education for children.
Persons qualified to benefit from the LEAP are orphans, persons with severe disability, the elderly who have attained 65 years and beyond, and pregnant women.
The workshop sought to sensitize the MMDCEs and their Coordinating Directors on the LEAP, and a new policy dimension required to fight human trafficking and domestic violence.
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citinewsroom.com/Ghana