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Linking child health, maternal labour force participation and household asset endowments in Cameroon: what the people say

Author

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  • Mbu Daniel Tambi

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Dschang)

  • Aloysius Mom Njong

    (Department of Economics, University of Bamenda)

  • Menjo Francis Baye

    (Department of Economics and Management, University of Yaounde II)

Abstract

This paper is targeted objectives: to document the determinants of child health as informed by focus group discussion, to analyze what the people say concerning the relationship between child health and maternal labour force participation, to explore the perception of the people on the effects of child health on asset accumulation and to suggest public policies on the basis of the findings. We used seven focus groups to explore what the people say based on different health domains: access to public goods; inputs to health; benefits from better health; better child health and complementary activities; benefits of maternity leave and better child health, decision making concerning family health. Each focus group was made of eight participants: housewife, traders, farmers, drivers, teachers, technicians, medical personnel and military drawn from different religious groups: catholic, protestant mainline, protestant non-mainline, other protestant, Muslim, systemic and traditional belief. We observed that, parents make used of the extra time accrue to them due to better health for their children and family to do extra work that fetched them money. The increased family income is use to send their children to better schools, carter for their wellbeing as well as to promote asset growth and redistribution, thus, improving economic well-being and reducing poverty. In case of retirement or sudden retrenchment from the labour market, parents make use of the accumulated assets to increase their family income and maintain well-being, hence, reducing the psychological trauma on parents due to poverty. Based on these findings, we recommend that decision makers and actors concern with child health issues should considered, ease and promote child health outcomes. This is a key to narrowing the poverty and inequality gap between the poor and non-poor, rural and urban household residence, married and unmarried, employed and the unemployed, promote maternal labour force participation and household wealth accumulation in Cameroon.

Suggested Citation

  • Mbu Daniel Tambi & Aloysius Mom Njong & Menjo Francis Baye, 2014. "Linking child health, maternal labour force participation and household asset endowments in Cameroon: what the people say," Russian Journal of Agricultural and Socio-Economic Sciences, CyberLeninka;Редакция журнала Russian Journal of Agricultural and Socio-Economic Sciences, vol. 34(10), pages 3-17.
  • Handle: RePEc:scn:031261:15666384
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. William Baah-Boateng & Kingsley Laar & Edward Nketiah-Amponsah, 2021. "Child health and maternal labour market engagement in Ghana," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 23(2), pages 283-301, December.
    2. Issidor Noumba & Quentin Lebrun Nzouessah Feunke, 2020. "Parental Education, Household Health, and Household Standard of Living: Evidence from Rural Cameroon," International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 13(7), pages 113-113, July.

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