Public Health and Education Spending in Ghana in 1992-98 : Issues of Equity and Efficiency

Using primary data from the health and education ministries, and household survey data from the Ghana Statistical Service, the authors analyze equity, and efficiency issues in public spending on health, and education in Ghana in the 1990s. Public expenditures in the education sector, declined in the second half of the 1990s. Basic education enrollment has been stagnant, or declining in public schools, but increasing in private schools, resulting in a moderate increase in total enrollment. Regional disparities are significant, with lower public resource allocations, and lower enrollment ratios in the three poorest regions. The quality of basic education in public schools remains poor, while it has steadily improved in private schools. Enrollments in higher levels are lagging behind those in basic education. Ghana ranks high among West African countries in health indicators, although its health expenditures tend to favor the non-poor. While more of the rural population have gained access to health services in recent years, many still have limited access, or none. Moreover, there is no link between the pattern of public expenditures - especially the pattern of immunization across Ghana - and health outcomes. To ensure that social services are efficiently, and equitably delivered in a fiscally constrained economy, the authors argue, public expenditures need to be linked to outcomes.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Canagarajah, Sudharshan, Ye, Xiao
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2001-04
Subjects:	ACADEMIC YEAR, ADDITION, ATTENDING SCHOOL, BASIC EDUCATION, BASIC SERVICES, CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, CLASSROOMS, CURRICULUM, DECENTRALIZATION, DRAWING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION BUDGET, EDUCATION ENROLLMENTS, EDUCATION EXPENDITURES, EDUCATION INDICATORS, EDUCATION LEVEL, EDUCATION LEVELS, EDUCATION MATERIALS, EDUCATION POLICIES, EDUCATION QUALITY, EDUCATION SECTOR, EDUCATION SERVICES, EDUCATION STATISTICS, EDUCATION SYSTEM, EDUCATIONAL NEEDS, ENROLLMENT, ENROLLMENT RATIO, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, FAMILIES, FIRST GRADE, GENDER GAP, GENERAL LITERACY, GER, GIRLS, GROSS ENROLLMENT, GROSS ENROLLMENT RATES, GROSS ENROLLMENT RATIO, GROSS ENROLLMENT RATIOS, HEALTH CARE, HEALTH INDICATORS, HEALTH OUTCOMES, HEALTH SERVICES, HIGH ENROLLMENT, IMMUNIZATION, IMPROVING ACCESS, INCOME LEVELS, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, LEVELS OF EDUCATION, LIFE SKILLS, LITERACY, LITERACY RATE, LOW ENROLLMENT, MATHEMATICS, NATIONAL EDUCATION, OUTCOMES OF EDUCATION, PAPERS, PARENTS, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, POPULATION GROWTH, POVERTY REDUCTION, PREGNANCY, PRIMARY EDUCATION, PRIMARY ENROLLMENT, PRIMARY SCHOOL, PRIMARY SCHOOL ENROLLMENT, PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS, PRIMARY SCHOOLS, PRIMARY STUDENTS, PRIVATE EDUCATION, PRIVATE SECTOR, PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM, PUBLIC EXPENDITURE, PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC PRIMARY, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PUPILS, QUALIFIED TEACHERS, RURAL AREAS, RURAL SCHOOLS, SCHOOL FACILITIES, SCHOOLING, SECONDARY EDUCATION, SECONDARY ENROLLMENT, SECONDARY LEVEL, SECONDARY SCHOOLS, SOCIAL SERVICES, SOCIAL STUDIES, SPECIAL EDUCATION, TEACHER, TEACHER TRAINING, TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGES, TEACHERS, TEACHING, TEACHING ENVIRONMENT, TEACHING MATERIALS, TEACHING QUALITY, TERTIARY EDUCATION, TEXTBOOKS, UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION, UPE, UPPER PRIMARY, VOCATIONAL EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL TRAINING, VOUCHERS,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2001/04/1089551/public-health-education-spending-ghana-1992-98-issues-equity-efficiency https://hdl.handle.net/10986/19663
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