TITLE:
Towards a Measure of Multidimensional Poverty in COVID-19 Time in Senegal: Identification of Risk Factors and Vulnerable People
AUTHORS:
Muhammad Ba
KEYWORDS:
Multidimensional Poverty, COVID-19, Vulnerable People, Risk Factors, Senegal
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.8 No.7,
July
27,
2020
ABSTRACT: The objective of this paper is to design a multidimensional poverty
index, based on the Alkire-Foster (AF) method, to identify
people vulnerable to COVID-19 and risk factors. The use of the Demographic and
Health Survey (DHS) dataset has led to the choice of the following dimensions:
Education, Hygiene, Staying at home, Physical
distance, and recovery capacity. Each dimension is composed of indicators found
in the global multidimensional poverty index. The
findings show that 61.4% of Senegalese are vulnerable to COVID-19 because they
suffer deprivation in at least a third of the indicators. Also, among the
vulnerable 47.05% are poor according to the wealth index. The deprivation in
electricity, housing, sanitation, and cooking fuel are the most important risk
factors in the Senegalese context. The regions located in the South and East
are those where the populations are more vulnerable. However, the number of confirmed cases is higher in the northern and
western regions where there are fewer vulnerable people. In these
regions, the greatest risk factor is promiscuity. Difficulty in observing
physical and social distance and having a suitable living environment are major
factors of vulnerability to emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19 in a
developing country like Senegal.