The Impact of Mobile Number Portability on Demand Price Elasticities in Sub-Saharan African Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Onkokame Mothobi
Keyword(s):  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Demand Model ◽  
Absolute Term ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Price Elasticities ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Number Portability ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This paper examines the effect of mobile number portability (MNP) on own- and cross-price elasticities. We use quarterly data for 27 mobile operators in seven Sub-Saharan Africa countries between 2010Q4 and 2014Q4 to estimate a differentiated products demand model. We find that the implementation of MNP increases price elasticities of demand for mobile services. This increase in price elasticities may be a result of reduction in switching costs between operators. On average, the introduction of MNP increases own-price elasticities by 0.47 in absolute value. We compare the level of price elasticities before and after the implementation of MNP in Ghana and Kenya, which implemented this policy in the time period of our study. Our results suggest that in Ghana, MNP increased own-price elasticities by an average of 0.35 in absolute term from an average of −0.74. In Kenya, the introduction of MNP increased own-price elasticities by an average of 0.21 in absolute term from a lower average of −0.39. However, we find that the average own-price elasticities in Kenya and Ghana remained small even after the implementation of MNP relative to other countries without MNP in place.

scholarly journals COVID-19 in South Africa: outbreak despite interventions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malte Schröder ◽  
Andreas Bossert ◽  
Moritz Kersting ◽  
Sebastian Aeffner ◽  
Justin Coetzee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Nelson Mandela ◽  
Intervention Measures ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe future dynamics of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in African countries is largely unclear. Simultaneously, required strengths of intervention measures are strongly debated because containing COVID-19 in favor of the weak health care system largely conflicts with socio-economic hardships. Here we analyze the impact of interventions on outbreak dynamics for South Africa, exhibiting the largest case numbers across sub-saharan Africa, before and after their national lockdown. Past data indicate strongly reduced but still supracritical growth after lockdown. Moreover, large-scale agent-based simulations given different future scenarios for the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality with 1.14 million inhabitants, based on detailed activity and mobility survey data of about 10% of the population, similarly suggest that current containment may be insufficient to not overload local intensive care capacity. Yet, enduring, slightly stronger or more specific interventions, combined with sufficient compliance, may constitute a viable option for interventions for South Africa.

scholarly journals Financial Inclusion, Income Inequality and Sustainable Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan African Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1780
Author(s):  
Chima M. Menyelim ◽  
Abiola A. Babajide ◽  
Alexander E. Omankhanlen ◽  
Benjamin I. Ehikioya
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Income Inequality ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Kuznets Curve ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Financial Access ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Sustainable Economic Growth ◽  
The Impact

This study evaluates the relevance of inclusive financial access in moderating the effect of income inequality on economic growth in 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) for the period 1995 to 2017. The findings using the Generalised Method of Moments (sys-GMM) technique show that inclusive financial access contributes to reducing inequality in the short run, contrary to the Kuznets curve. The result reveals a negative effect of financial access on the relationship between income inequality and economic growth. There is a positive net effect of inclusive financial access in moderating the impact of income inequality on economic growth. Given the need to achieve the Sustainable Development Targets in the sub-region, policymakers and other stakeholders of the economy must design policies and programmes that would enhance access to financial services as an essential mechanism to reduce income disparity and enhance sustainable economic growth.

scholarly journals Estimating the burden of cardiovascular risk in community dwellers over 40 years old in South Africa, Kenya, Burkina Faso and Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e003499
Author(s):  
Ryan G Wagner ◽  
Nigel J Crowther ◽  
Lisa K Micklesfield ◽  
Palwende Romauld Boua ◽  
Engelbert A Nonterah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
South African ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Cvd Risk ◽  
Genomic Studies ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionCardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors are increasing in sub-Saharan Africa. The impact of these risk factors on future CVD outcomes and burden is poorly understood. We examined the magnitude of modifiable risk factors, estimated future CVD risk and compared results between three commonly used 10-year CVD risk factor algorithms and their variants in four African countries.MethodsIn the Africa-Wits-INDEPTH partnership for Genomic studies (the AWI-Gen Study), 10 349 randomly sampled individuals aged 40–60 years from six sites participated in a survey, with blood pressure, blood glucose and lipid levels measured. Using these data, 10-year CVD risk estimates using Framingham, Globorisk and WHO-CVD and their office-based variants were generated. Differences in future CVD risk and results by algorithm are described using kappa and coefficients to examine agreement and correlations, respectively.ResultsThe 10-year CVD risk across all participants in all sites varied from 2.6% (95% CI: 1.6% to 4.1%) using the WHO-CVD lab algorithm to 6.5% (95% CI: 3.7% to 11.4%) using the Framingham office algorithm, with substantial differences in risk between sites. The highest risk was in South African settings (in urban Soweto: 8.9% (IQR: 5.3–15.3)). Agreement between algorithms was low to moderate (kappa from 0.03 to 0.55) and correlations ranged between 0.28 and 0.70. Depending on the algorithm used, those at high risk (defined as risk of 10-year CVD event >20%) who were under treatment for a modifiable risk factor ranged from 19.2% to 33.9%, with substantial variation by both sex and site.ConclusionThe African sites in this study are at different stages of an ongoing epidemiological transition as evidenced by both risk factor levels and estimated 10-year CVD risk. There is low correlation and disparate levels of population risk, predicted by different risk algorithms, within sites. Validating existing risk algorithms or designing context-specific 10-year CVD risk algorithms is essential for accurately defining population risk and targeting national policies and individual CVD treatment on the African continent.

scholarly journals A systematic review and meta-analysis reveal that Campylobacter spp. and antibiotic resistance are widespread in humans in sub-Saharan Africa

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0245951
Author(s):  
Delfina F. Hlashwayo ◽  
Betuel Sigaúque ◽  
Emília V. Noormahomed ◽  
Sónia M. S. Afonso ◽  
Inácio M. Mandomando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Pooled Prevalence ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Introduction Campylobacter spp. are zoonotic bacteria that cause gastroenteritis in humans worldwide, whose main symptom is diarrhea. In certain cases, extra intestinal manifestations may occur, such as Guillain Barré syndrome. The bacteria cause severe diarrhea mostly in children and in immunocompromised individuals. This review aims to address the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in humans in sub-Saharan Africa. It also aims to understand the impact of HIV in the prevalence, as well as to report data on antibiotic resistance and propose research priorities. Methods We followed PRISMA guidelines to find studies on the occurrence of Campylobacter spp. in humans in all countries from sub-Saharan Africa. Studies published between 2000 and 2020 were searched in PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, African Index Medicus, African Journals Online, Google Scholar and Science Direct. We have conducted a random-effect meta-analysis and calculated the proportion of resistant isolates to different antibiotics. Results and discussion We found 77 studies that described such occurrence in humans in 20 out of 53 sub-Saharan African countries. Campylobacter jejuni was the most prevalent species. Pooled prevalence was 9.9% (CI: 8.4%–11.6%). No major variations within the different sub-regions were found. Most studies reported Campylobacter spp. as the cause of diarrhea, mainly in children. Some studies reported the bacteria as a possible etiologic agent of acute flaccid paralysis and urinary tract infection. Campylobacter spp. presented a higher pooled prevalence in HIV infected patients, although not statistically significant. High proportions of resistant strains were reported for many antibiotics, including erythromycin and tetracycline. Conclusion Campylobacter spp. occur in sub-Saharan Africa, although information is scarce or inexistent for many countries. Research priorities should include investigation of the understudied species; extra intestinal manifestations; the impact of HIV infection and associated risk factors. Control strategies should be reinforced to contain the spread of this pathogen and drug resistance.

HIV/AIDS

2020 ◽  
pp. 901-933
Author(s):  
Sarah Fidler ◽  
Timothy E.A. Peto ◽  
Philip Goulder ◽  
Christopher P. Conlon
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
The People ◽  
Reduce Life Expectancy ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
The Impact

Since its discovery in 1983, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been associated with a global pandemic that has affected more than 78 million people and caused more than 39 million deaths. Globally, 36.9 million (34.3–41.4 million) people were living with HIV at the end of 2013. An estimated 0.8% of adults aged 15–49 years worldwide are living with HIV, although the burden of the epidemic continues to vary considerably between countries and regions. Sub-Saharan Africa remains most severely affected, with nearly 1 in every 20 adults living with HIV and accounting for nearly 71% of the people living with HIV worldwide. The impact of HIV in some African countries has been sufficient to reverse population growth and reduce life expectancy into the mid-30s, although HIV incidence has declined in some of these high-prevalence countries. However, there are large-scale HIV epidemics elsewhere (e.g. India, the Russian Federation, and Eastern Europe).

“Does the poor matter” in pro-poor driven sub-Saharan African cities? towards progressive and inclusive pro-poor tourism

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 392-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regis Musavengane ◽  
Pius Siakwah ◽  
Llewellyn Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Urban Tourism ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
African Cities ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to question the extent to which Sub-Saharan African cities are progressing towards promoting pro-poor economies through pro-poor tourism (PPT). It specifically examines how African cities are resilient towards attaining sustainable urban tourism destinations in light of high urbanization. Design/methodology/approach The methodological framework is interpretive in nature and qualitative in an operational form. It uses meta-synthesis to evaluate the causal relationships observed within Sub-Saharan African pro-poor economies to enhance PPT approaches, using Accra, Ghana, Johannesburg, South Africa, and Harare, Zimbabwe, as case studies. Findings Tourism development in Sub-Saharan Africa has been dominantly underpinned by neoliberal development strategies which threaten the sustainability of tourism in African cities. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to three Sub-Saharan African countries. Further studies may need to be done in other developing countries. Practical implications It argues for good governance through sustainability institutionalization which strengthens the regulative mechanisms, processes and organizational culture. Inclusive tourism approaches that are resilient-centered have the potential to promote urban tourism in Sub-Saharan African cities. These findings contribute to the building of strong and inclusive Institutions for Sustainable Development in the Sub-Saharan African cities to alleviate poverty. Social implications These findings contribute to the building of strong and inclusive institutions for sustainable development in the Sub-Saharan African cities to alleviate poverty. Originality/value The “poor” are always within the communities, and it takes a community to minimise the impact of poverty among the populace. The study is conducted at a pertinent time when most African government’s development policies are pro-poor driven. Though African cities provide opportunities of growth, they are regarded as centres of high inequality.

scholarly journals Social Reintegration and Rehabilitation of Obstetric Fistula Patients Before and After Repair in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-14
Author(s):  
Atuhaire Shallon ◽  
Oladosu A. Ojengbede ◽  
John Francis Mugisha ◽  
Akin-Tunde A. Odukogbe
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Obstetric Fistula ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Vaginal Fistula ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Social Reintegration ◽  
Open Access Journals ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Sub Saharan

Aims: Social reintegration and rehabilitation of obstetric fistula patients before and after repair enhance their overall status, which may be unattainable even with a successful repair. Nonetheless, there is little traceable documentation about it even with supportive programs and projects, the thrust of this study. Methods: This is a systematic review involving a search of relevant literature from PubMed, Google scholar, PsychINFO, African Journals Online, Australian Journals Online, and open access journals of international organizations such as WHO, UNFPA, USAID, Engender Health, Fistula Foundation and Fistula Care Plus published between 1978 to date. Of the 46 articles identified, 25 were suitable for achievement of this study’s purpose. Results:Sub-Saharan African countries have recognized the overall burden of obstetric fistula and have devised strategies for its holistic management. Most countries have National Obstetric Fistula Strategic Frameworks which emphasize multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary approaches other than medical paradigms. Social reintegration and rehabilitation have been done through the identification of individual patient’s need/s. Projects and programs aiming to combat obstetric fistula and restore patients’ self-worth and dignity are: Lamaneh Suisse, and Delta Survie in Mali, Dimol in Niger,  Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in Burundi, FORWARD in Nigeria and Sierra Leone, Handicap International in Benin Republic, Women For Africa in Ghana and Liberia, TERREWODE and CoRSU both in Uganda, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia in Ethiopia, and others which cut across the region. Conclusions: Effective social reintegration and rehabilitation strategies are still inadequate in Sub-Saharan Africa due to lack of political commitment and inadequate outreach programs. Keywords: obstetric fistula, recto-vaginal fistula, rehabilitation, social reintegration, vesico-vaginal fistula.

Does economic freedom improve health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa?

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (12) ◽  
pp. 1633-1649
Author(s):  
Anand Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Economic Freedom ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The World ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the impact of economic freedom on four key health indicators (namely, life expectancy, infant mortality rate, under-five mortality rate and neonatal mortality rate) by using a panel dataset of 34 sub-Saharan African countries from 2005 to 2016.Design/methodology/approachThe study obtains data from the World Development Indicators (WDI) of the World Bank and the Fraser Institute. It uses fixed effects regression to estimate the effect of economic freedom on health outcomes and attempts to resolve the endogeneity problems by using two-stage least squares regression (2SLS).FindingsThe results indicate a favourable impact of economic freedom on health outcomes. That is, higher levels of economic freedom reduce mortality rates and increase life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa. All areas of economic freedom, except government size, have a significant and positive effect on health outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThis study analyses the effect of economic freedom on health at a broad level. Country-specific studies at a disaggregated level may provide additional information about the impact of economic freedom on health outcomes. Also, this study does not control for some important variables such as education, income inequality and foreign aid due to data constraints.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that sub-Saharan African countries should focus on enhancing the quality of economic institutions to improve their health outcomes. This may include policy reforms that support a robust legal system, protect property rights, promote free trade and stabilise the macroeconomic environment. In addition, policies that raise urbanisation, increase immunisation and lower the incidence of HIV are likely to produce a substantial improvement in health outcomes.Originality/valueExtant economic freedom-health literature does not focus on endogeneity problems. This study uses instrumental variables regression to deal with endogeneity. Also, this is one of the first attempts to empirically investigate the relationship between economic freedom and health in the case of sub-Saharan Africa.

scholarly journals Deconstructing the Impact of Entrepreneurship on Income Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 273-284
Author(s):  
Jimoh S. Ogede
Keyword(s):  
Income Inequality ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Macroeconomic Factors ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Short Run ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The study examines the impacts of entrepreneurship on income inequality in a panel of 29 Sub-Saharan African countries spanning from 2004 to 2020. The paper employs a dynamic heterogeneous panel approach to differentiate between long-run and short-run impacts of entrepreneurship on income inequality. The findings establish a robust and direct nexus between entrepreneurial activities and income disparity. The results of the two entrepreneurial indicators are stable. Besides, the coefficient of the human capital is positive in the regression and statistically significant at a 5 percent significance level. The proxies for macroeconomic factors exhibit diverse signs and impact, which suggest a policy stimulus aimed at refining macroeconomic situations and also ignite prospects for households to increase their incomes.

scholarly journals African agriculture in the context of COVID-19: Finding salvation in the devil

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 302-310
Author(s):  
Guy Blaise Nkamleu ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Food System ◽  
Free Trade Area ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Agriculture Sector ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

The world is facing unprecedented challenges from COVID-19, which is disrupting lives and livelihoods. The pandemic could profoundly affect the African continent and wipe out hard-won development gains, as sub-Saharan Africa heads into its first recession in 25 years. Beyond the multispatial impact of the coronavirus in Africa, its effects on the agriculture and food system is of particular interest, as food security could be the most affected area and, at the same time, agriculture could be the sector that could help African economies recover quicker from the impact of COVID19. This paper supports the view that COVID-19, as devilish as it may be, offers an opportunity to revive interest in the agricultural sector. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed immense pressures on African countries to raise additional resources, and consequently Africa’s growing public debt is again coming back to the centre stage of the global debate. The conversation on African debt sustainability has begun to dominate the scene and will flood the debate in the near term. While the observed, growing calls for debt relief for African countries are legitimate, we support in this paper that one should not divert attention from the long-term solutions needed to strengthen Africa’s resilience. These long-term solutions lie where they always have: in agriculture. With COVID-19, shipping agricultural inputs and food products from other continents to Africa has become disrupted and is accelerating the trend towards shortening supply chains. This will leave a potential market for inputs and food produced on the continent. COVID-19, together with the launching of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), have aligned the stars in favour of a decisive transformation of the agriculture sector on the continent. Agriculturalists and development experts need to be aware of their responsibility at this time, as they need to advocate for the topic of agricultural development to return to the centre and the heart of the agenda of discussions on how to respond to the consequences of Covid-19 in Africa. In this sense, and unexpectedly, COVID-19 is an opportunity for the agricultural sector.

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