Poverty levels on the increase, notes JCTR

Poverty levels on the increase, notes JCTR
By Henry Sinyangwe
Sun 14 Feb. 2010, 04:37 CAT

POVERTY is still increasing in the country despite government figures indicating the trend is decreasing, the latest report from Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflections (JCTR) has revealed.

JCTR research and social conditions programme officer Raphael Phiri said access to food, health and education still remains elusive for most of the population. Phiri said the standard three meals a day were not being accessed by most families due to increased fuel and food prices.

He said most families were undernourished. “According to our pilot research, poverty is actually at an increase in the country with the situation getting worse than before,” Phiri said. “Access to health, education and even meals still remains elusive for most of the people they are not even able to have three meals a day. Most families can only afford two meals or less.”

Phiri said although official data from Central Statistical Office (CSO) between 2006 and 2007 indicated that poverty levels were declining, it did not include the critical period during the global economic recession.

Phiri said the poverty situation was even worse in rural areas as a person was supposed to consume a minimum of 2400 calories a day but people were currently consuming about 1600 hence having a deficit of 800 calories a day.

He said among the rural area that they had so far conducted the pilot research were Mufumbwe in North Western Province, Masaiti on the Copperbelt and Malama in Eastern Province’s Mambwe district.

He said JCTR was piloting similar research in Chongwe, Kazungula and Shangombo districts and the results received so far were similar to the already researched rural areas.

He said the rural areas still experience low food supply and lack of access to social services such as health and education due to lack of such infrastructure.

“Normally a person is supposed to consume about 2400 calories per day but what is happening in rural areas is that most people are only able to eat about 1600 calories a day which means they lose out 800 calories each day because they do not have access to nutritious food,” Phiri said.

And Phiri appealed to the media to explain such information and the methodologies used in poverty data collection so that they can understand such information when it is released to avoid misleading the public.

“Data from us JCTR gives a different perspective from that released by the CSO,” said Phiri. “The media should explain to the people what methodologies are used and the time frame in arriving at such data.”

He said the cost of living in peri-urban areas was too high forcing an average family of six to live in a two-room house which is a health hazard.