Impacts of the Global Economic Crisis on Child Poverty in Cameroon and Options for a Policy Response

Sami Bibi (), John Cockburn, Ismaël Fofana, Luca Tiberti, Paul Ningaye and Christian Emini ()

Abstract: This study aims to evaluate the potential impacts of the 2008/09 global economic crisis on child poverty in Cameroon. It also explores the potential effects that policy responses to such a crisis could have on children. In order to do this, the study uses a macro-micro methodology. A dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model is used to simulate various scenarios of the economic crisis together with policies which respond to the crisis, taking into account the different transmission channels of the global crisis to the Cameroonian economy. The results of the CGE model are then used in a micro-econometric module in order to evaluate the impacts of the simulated shocks on households in general and children in particular. Five dimensions of child poverty are examined: monetary poverty, caloric poverty, child school participation and child labour, and children’s access to health care services. The study shows that the crisis is projected to lower the real GDP growth rate by 1.3 percentage points in 2009, 0.9 in 2010 and 0.8 in 2011. Four alternative policy responses to the crisis are simulated: a reduction in the VAT levied on the sale of food products; elimination of customs tariffs applied on imports of food products; free access to school canteens for children under the age of 15 in districts where monetary poverty is higher than the national average; and granting cash transfers to poor children.

Keywords: child education; child health; child labour; child poverty; econometric models; economic crisis; hunger; social protection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 65
Date: 2010
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr and nep-cmp
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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