Averting expenditure on malaria: effects on labour productivity of maize farmers in Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri District of Ghana

BACKGROUND: Malaria has been one of the commonest diseases during farming season, which affects farmers’ health resulting in a reduction in the number of days spent on the farm. As a result, farmers are regularly trying to avert malaria infection through preventive measures. Motivated by this argument, this study sought to determine the effects of malaria averting expenditure on labour productivity of maize farmers in Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri District in the Northern Region of Ghana. METHODS: A cross-sectional primary data was collected from 194 maize farmers. Both descriptive and quantitative data analysis approaches were employed. Conditional mixed process was used to estimate the effects of malaria prevention expenditure on maize farmers’ labour productivity. RESULTS: The study revealed that maize farmers incurred an average expenditure of GHc284.6 to prevent malaria annually. The result shows that factors that affect maize farmers’ malaria prevention expenditure include off-farm income, household size, presence of bushes around houses, presence of pregnant women and number of household members in school. Meanwhile, quantity of fertilizer, seed, weedicides, farming experience, age, ownership of motorbike and averting expenditure are significant determinants of maize labour productivity. The study revealed that farmers who spend more money to avert malaria attack are more labour productive. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, this study recommends that Ministry of Health and Ministry of Food and Agriculture should collaborate and integrate health extension service on malaria in agricultural extension to educate farmers on the need to avert malaria. Farmers should be educated on malaria preventive strategies, such as clearing of bushes around houses, draining of stagnant water, sleeping in treated mosquito nets among others. Lastly, aside distribution of free mosquito nets to pregnant women, they should be subsidized and made available to all farmers for malaria prevention.