The World Bank says shared prosperity and poverty reduction are critical to national development while calling for a strategic approach towards social interventions to achieve the desired results.
Ms. Cynthia Nimo-Ampredu, Social Protection Specialist, World Bank, made the call in Kumasi at a stakeholders’ consultative workshop towards the development of a national social protection and shock response strategy.
She said the Bank’s support to various governments across the world through social protection programmes had impacted the lives of the poor and vulnerable, especially women, persons with disability and children.
The Government of Ghana, she said, had over the years implemented social intervention programmes, such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), to cushion the most vulnerable in society.
Ms Nimo-Ampredu said shocks had become more imminent, citing the Covid-19 as an example, hence the need for strategic social interventions to protect the poor.
Such interventions should not be ad-hoc and sporadic but strategic to achieve the desired results, she added.
The workshop called on participants to step up efforts to protect the vulnerable in society during disasters and difficult times.
It formed part of a nationwide stakeholder consultation and knowledge sharing to review, validate and disseminate the findings of studies undertaken and chart the way forward for further research and development of the strategy.
Put together by the World Bank, United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCP), the workshop sought to engage stakeholders on government shock response efforts through presentations from various entities.
The National Disaster Management Organisation, Center for Social Policy Studies, the World Bank, and the MoGCSP made presentations on Ghana’s shock and social protection responses.
Ms Nimo-Ampredu disclosed that the World Bank and UNICEF were supporting the Government through the Gender Ministry, to develop a shock response strategy.
She implored the participants to make valuable contributions towards the development of a comprehensive strategy to holistically protect the vulnerable.
Dr Kennedy Osei, a Representative of the Gender Ministry applauded the World Bank and its partners for their continuous support to the Ministry to ensure it developed adequate and robust social protection systems.
Contributions by participants would help for a comprehensive and effective strategy to provide the needed support for the vulnerable.
Source: GNA
