Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Ghana have been advised to take research findings seriously if they are really committed in alleviating the suffering of the people in their respective areas.
Researchers with the Innovative for Poverty Action (IPA), an international research organizations says the lack of interest in implementing research findings by governments and the district assemblies contribute significantly to the woes of the rural people in Ghana and is about time decision makers begun implementing research findings geared at improving economic standards of the people.
IPA which has been in existence for over twelve years now discovered and promoted effective solutions to global poverty problems.
It has worked with over 350 academics to manage over 500 evaluations in 51 countries focusing expanding education quality, behavioral change in health, farmer productivity and credit, saving and livelihoods to build a world with more evidence and less poverty.
This came to light at a day’s forum to share results of IPA’s recent research on the impact of Graduation from Ultra-Poverty (GUP) pilots in six countries.
President of IPA, Professor Dean Karlan who presented the results from African countries including results from Northern Ghana said a large number of child deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa are due to causes that are preventable through improved health behavior.
Professor Dean Karlan said though substantial progress has been made worldwide in reducing child deaths over the last 25 years, on average 17,000 children under-five still die every day, mostly from preventable causes and treatable diseases.
Researchers according to IPA president are conducting a randomized evaluation to measure the impact of C4D program and an expanded version with a mobile phone component on five key behaviors.
Professor Dean Karlan mention exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, hand washing with soap, sleeping under an insecticide-treated bed net to prevent malaria, treating diarrhea with oral rehydration solutions and using a skilled birth attendant as the areas researchers will be conducting their studies on.
The forum was attended by officials from MMDAs, MOFA, and academia among others in northern region.
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