The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has trained media practitioners to enhance their understanding and interpretation of results from Ghana’s maiden Multidimensional Poverty Report, which examined poverty beyond monetary deprivations.

The national Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report looked at how people experience poverty in their health, education, and living standards.

The report, to be launched on 29^th July 2020, was developed by the Ghana Statistical Service with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) of Oxford University.

The training participants expressed their satisfaction and look forward to the launch to disseminate the key findings of the report. 

“This training has been very insightful for me. I have come to appreciate the methodology and the issues discussed in the report even before it is launched,” noted Anass Sabit, JoyNews’ Bono East Regional Correspondent.

The training facilitator, Corinne Mitchell, Director of Programmes and Operations at Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI), University of Oxford emphasized that developing an MPI report helps countries to complement monetary poverty statistics, track poverty over time, and strategically develop policies to target marginalized regions, groups and households.

“Countries like Sierra Leone and others have launched their Multidimensional Poverty report and it is informing their policies and other areas of development. I believe the launch of this report in Ghana is timely especially during this COVID-19pandemic and will contribute to fast track the elimination of poverty and ensure no one is left behind”, noted Corinne.

The Multidimensional Poverty Index report was computed using data from the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS) 2016/2017 and the harmonized 2011 and 2018 Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). 

The MPI media training, which was held virtually, had about 30 Journalists from broadcast, print, and online media houses in Ghana.