Prepared by Tabitha Chamboko, Finmark

1. Impact of COVID-19 on the welfare of
rural households in Ghana (round 2
Funded by USAID
Prepared by
Tabitha Chamboko, Finmark

2. COVID-19 in Ghana
▪ First case: March 12, 2020
o September 2, 2020: 44,460 cases, 276 deaths
o December 29, 2020: 54,771 cases, 335 deaths
▪ Swift government action:
o Lockdown in major cities, Accra and Kumasi, declared on 30 March after reporting
sixth confirmed case
o Contact tracing & isolation, testing
o Airport closed, social distancing, educational institution and religious places closed,
large gatherings banned; airport re-opened Sep 1, 2020
o 20 April onwards- businesses permitted to operate following rules of social distancing,
gatherings not permitted, schools remain closed
o Senior high schools, universities and basic schools remain closed

3. Phone Survey
▪ First round of phone survey conducted from mid August to early-September
with 543 households; second round implemented during October
▪ Focus on behavioral responses to COVID-19, income changes, food and
nutrition security, water security, and mobility

4. Location of
respondents
Northern
Ghana

5. COVID-19 and household welfare
▪ Approximately 66% of households are still experiencing a loss of income
due to Covid-19 in Round 2, a drop from 72% in Round 1
▪ While 10 percent fewer men noted experience income losses, only 2
percent fewer women reported the same
▪ There has been a large increase in households' reliance on savings and
borrowing especially sale of assets for coping with income loss
▪ More women have reported having done work in the last 7 days of Round
2 as compared to Round 1
▪ Both men and women are spending more time caring for others than
before the Covid-19 epidemic, although men noted a larger increase

6. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Male respondents Female respondents
ShareofHouseholds
Round 1 Round 2
Income loss due to Covid-19 (%)

7. Coping mechanisms to deal with loss of income (%)
0
20
40
60
80
100
Use savings Sale of assets Borrow money Consumed less Reduced
expenditure
Found alternative
work
Transfers
ShareofHouseholds
Women
Round 1 Round 2
0
20
40
60
80
100
Use savings Sale of assets Borrow money Consumed less Reduced
expenditure
Found alternative
work
Transfers
ShareofHouseholds
Men
Round 1 Round 2

8. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Male respondents Female respondents
ShareofHouseholds
Round 1 Round 2
Worked in the last 7 days (%)

9. Time spent caring for others (%)
0
10
20
30
40
50
More than before Less than before About the same
ShareofHouseholds
Women
Round 1 Round 2
0
20
40
60
More than before Less than before About the same
ShareofHouseholds
Men
Round 1 Round 2

10. Food security and dietary diversity
▪ Households’ access to food continues to be affected by the Covid-19
pandemic with women noting more challenges
▪ A higher proportion of respondents are now getting food from different
sources (33% Round 2 vs 14% Round 1)
▪ There is a decline in Round 2 of respondents who are eating different as
well as less food
▪ There is an improvement in the percentage of women having adequate
diet

11. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Male respondents Female respondents
ShareofHouseholds
Round 1 Round 2
Access to food changed (%)

12. Changes in access to food (%)
0
20
40
60
80
100
Unable to obtain enough food Getting food from different
sources
Eating different foods Eating less food
ShareofHouseholds
Women
Round 1 Round 2
0
20
40
60
80
100
Unable to obtain enough food Getting food from different
sources
Eating different foods Eating less food
ShareofHouseholds
Men
Round 1 Round 2

13. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Women with adequate diet (5 out of 10 food groups consumed)
ShareofHouseholds
Round 1 Round 2
Minimum dietary diversity for women (%)

14. Frequency of not washing hands when necessary (%)
0
20
40
60
80
100
Never (0 times) Rarely (1 times) Sometimes (2-5 times) Often (6-10 times) Always (>10 times)
ShareofHouseholds
Men
Round 1 Round 2
0
20
40
60
80
100
Never (0 times) Rarely (1 times) Sometimes (2-5 times) Often (6-10 times) Always (>10 times)
ShareofHouseholds
Women
Round 1 Round 2

15. Being afraid of spouse or partner (%)
0
20
40
60
80
100
Often Sometimes Rarely Never
ShareofHouseholds
Men
Round 1 Round 2
0
20
40
60
80
100
Often Sometimes Rarely Never
ShareofHouseholds
Women
Round 1 Round 2
Round 1
n=176
Round 2
n=153

16. Conclusion
▪ Covid-19 is still affecting household's well-being
▪ There is a decline in the number of households experiencing a loss of income
due to Covid-19, but the decline is much larger for men than for women
▪ There is a large increase in the number of households relying on savings, selling
of assets and borrowing to cope with the income losses that are still experienced
▪ Households’ access to food continues to be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic;
the minimum dietary diversity of women improved slightly in round 2
▪ The frequency of not washing hands declined slightly for both men and women in
the sample during October compared to August, possibly because water storages
were improved at the end of the rainy season
▪ While frequent conflict across spouses reduced, the share of spouses who are
never afraid of their partner declined, with a larger decline among women