Publication: Faith-Inspired Education in Ghana : A Historical Case Example
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Date
2014-06-10
ISSN
1557-0274
Published
2014-06-10
Author(s)
Olivier, Jill
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Abstract
In order to understand the current role of faith-inspired schools (FISs) in Africa and some of the debates about the magnitude of the services they provide, it is useful to consider their presence in a historical perspective. Faith-inspired schools have a long and distinguished tradition in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this article is to sketch that history using the case of Ghana, a country where FISs date back to early Islamic schools and, as of the 16th century, to Christian missionary activities.
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It is nevertheless possible to take one (partial) step towards such comprehensive assessments in specific countries by comparing and interpreting the market share estimates for the health care services provided by various types of providers obtained with both facilities and household survey data, and to measure the facilities’ “reach to the poor” (understood here as a comparative market share assessment of various types of providers among segments of the population according to their level of well-being, and especially among the poor). In addition, qualitative work can help reveal the reasons why patients tend to choose one type of provider versus another. The objective of this article is to do precisely this in the case of Ghana.Publication Market Share of Faith-Inspired Health Care Providers : Reach to the Poor in Africa(Taylor and Francis, 2014-03-12)Market share estimates—typically in the 30 percent to 40 percent range—are frequently wielded as the most concrete evidence of faith-inspired activity and impact in the area of health care provision in Sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, there are few speeches, reports, or articles that do not make some mention of market share, attaching some percentage to the significance of faith-inspired healthcare provision in the continent as a whole, or in specific countries. Such statements usually appear in the early stages of a text, and are the basis on which a further argument is made, for example that this sector therefore requires further attention or resources from governments and donors. 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