Pneumonia, Diarrhoea, Measles, Polio and Whooping Cough are major killers of children in the world. However, one of the most effective ways of preventing these diseases is through utilising completely their respective vaccines which are normally administered in doses. Therefore given that the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) report showed a fall in the coverage of the subsequent doses of the Pentavalent, Pneumococcal, Polio and Rotavirus vaccines for children in Ghana, this study investigated the factors that influence the Utilisation of all Doses of these vaccines as well as the Measles vaccine. Using Data from the 2014 GDHS and employing the binary probit model, the study among other findings revealed that, children from the Eastern, Northern and Western regions were found to be less probable to have received all the doses of the Polio and Pentavalent vaccines. Also unemployed mothers were found to be less likely to demand for all the doses of the Measles, Pentavalent, Pneumococcal and Rotavirus vaccines for their children. Moreover, rising age of the household head was associated with falling utilization of all the doses of the Pneumococcal, Pentavalent and Polio vaccines for children. Furthermore, children with single mothers were found to be less likely to have received all doses of both the Polio and Pentavalent vaccines. Also uneducated mothers were found to be less likely to demand for all the doses of the Polio, Pentavalent and Measles vaccines for their children relative to mothers with secondary education. In addition mothers without health insurance were found to be less likely to utilize all the doses of the Measles and Polio vaccines for their children. Therefore reinvigoration of regional centeredness of child health utilization drives, aiding single, unemployed and uneducated women as well as strengthening the free maternal health insurance registration scheme, could be effective tools in ensuring full utilisation of all doses of these vaccines.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most dangerous communicable diseases in the world. However, with regard to children, the problem is exacerbated by the fact that there is a challenge in diagnosing childhood TB (World Health Organisation, 2013). This therefore strengthens the need for adopting preventive means such as immunisation in order to avoid childhood TB. Methods: This paper used data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey which was conducted from early September to mid-December 2014 and the binary probit model to investigate the factors which influence the up-take of TB vaccine for children in Ghana. Results: The study revealed that children from the Eastern region, children from the traditional/no religion/spiritualist faith, male children, children with younger, unemployed, and uninsured (no health insurance) mothers as well as those whose mothers had big monetary challenges in seeking medical care, were less likely to have received or utilised the TB vaccine. Conclusion: This study therefore concludes that mother's employment, religion, region of residence, mother's insurance, and challenges with finances in seeking medical care for mother, mother's age and the sex of the child are the factors that determine the up-take of TB vaccine among children in Ghana.

Ghana's under-five mortality rate far exceeds the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.2 Target of 25 deaths per thousand live births by 2030. Therefore to improve upon the situation, it is imperative that the factors which determine the health status of children are investigated. This study therefore used data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey to investigate the socio-economic determinants of child health status in Ghana by employing the binary probit model. The study revealed that, Ewe, Grusi, Muslim and Christian children, children from urban areas, Greater Accra, Northern, Ashanti, Upper east, Eastern and Central regions, were more probable to contract cough. Also children with uneducated mothers, those whose mothers had uneducated partners as well as those whose mothers had no health insurance were revealed to be more likely to be anaemic. Further, male children and children from non-wealthy households were revealed to be more likely to have suffered diarrhoea, fever and anaemia. Also children with employed mothers and those with mothers with big distance challenges to seek care were found to be more likely to have fever. These findings, point out the essence of socio-economic factors to child health outcomes and hence the need to be given attention in child health survival interventions in Ghana.

I odine is an important part of the triiodothyronine, thyroxine and thyroid hormones and hence making it a necessity for healthy people. Inadequate iodine therefore affects various parts of the body (the liver, muscle, kidney, heart and the developing brain) adversely due to the less sufficient production of the above named hormones. Thus iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) which include mental retardation, retardation of growth, reproductive failure, high childhood mortality, defects in nervous system development, goitre, physical slowness and economic stagnation, occur due to insufficient Introduction: Given the deleterious effects of iodine deficiency on human health especially children, most nations including Ghana have adopted universal iodisation drives using iodised salt. However, for the success of such drives, it is imperative to know the factors that influence the utilisation of iodised salt in order to inform relevant policies. This study therefore, investigated factors that influence iodised salt utilisation among households with children under-five in Ghana. Methods: The study sourced data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey whiles the ordered probit model was the empirical estimation technique employed. Results: It was revealed that, the Ga/Dangme ethnicity, having uneducated mothers and partners, mothers with big monetary challenges in seeking medical care, rising child's birth order and age of the household head, and staying in all the regions of Ghana except the Western region (using the Upper West region as the reference region) decreased the likelihood of iodised salt utilisation, though households in the Upper East region had an insignificant coefficient. Further, urban, wealthy, Christian and Islamic households were found to be more likely to use iodised salt relative to rural, non-rich and traditional/spiritualist/no religion faith households respectively. Discussion and Conclusion: The study therefore concludes that paying so much attention to socioeconomic and cultural factors could be effective tools in ensuring iodised salt utilisation.

Following challenges with increasing fiscal deficit, the Government of India adopted the path of fiscal consolidation with the sole intention of reducing fiscal and other deficits. However, in the drive to reduce government expenditure, it is necessary to be cautious of how it affects expenditures such as development expenditure that are very essential to the well-being of people. This study therefore investigated how fiscal consolidation and Public revenue affect development expenditure in India using time series data from 1977-2015 and the ARDL model. The study found that, in both the short run and long run, public revenue had a positive significant impact on development expenditure whiles fiscal consolidation had a negative significant impact on development expenditure. The study therefore recommended that in our attempt to attain fiscal consolidation, care must be taken not to abandon development expenditure which has serious effects on the well-being of people.