I hold a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Economics from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Additionally, I possess a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Catholic University of Ghana, Fiapre – Sunyani, where I graduated with Second Class Honours (Upper Division). I also hold a Diploma in Education from the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana.

Professionally, I have over a decade of experience as an Economics Tutor at New Abirem/Afosu Senior High School, Ghana, where I served from October 2012 to July 2024 with the rank of Assistant Director II. Currently, I am a Lecturer at the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi – Ghana, where I engage in teaching, research, and student mentorship.

My research interests lie in healthcare financing, inequality analysis, economic evaluation, and promoting equity and efficiency in health systems. I am particularly driven by a commitment to advancing evidence-based policy in health economics, with a focus on addressing critical challenges in resource allocation, equity in health access, and the evaluation of health interventions.

Academic Qualifications

• • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Economics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Ghana, 2023
  • Master of Philosophy (MPhil) Economics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Ghana, 2016
  • Diploma in Education, the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana, 2016
  • Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Economics and Business Administration (Economics), Catholic University of Ghana, Fiapre – Sunyani, 2011

Professional Affiliations/ Memberships

• • International Health Economics Association (iHEA)
  • African Health Economics and Policy Association (AfHEA)
  • Association of Certified Charted Economists (ACCE) – USA

Teaching Interests

• • Research Methods in Economics
  • Economics of Tourism and Hospitality
  • Microeconomics
  • Health Economics
  • Energy Economics
  • Econometrics

Research Interests and Supervision

• • My broad research area is applied microeconomics, with specific research interests in healthcare financing, inequalities in healthcare utilization, equity and efficiency in health systems, and the evaluation of interventions/programmes. I am especially interested in analysing how financial mechanisms and policy frameworks influence access to healthcare services and how they shape the equitable distribution of health outcomes across different socio-economic groups.
• • My current research focuses on how health insurance affects access to care, utilization of care, and health outcomes by analysing the influences on affordability, reduction of financial barriers in access, and health equity. I am equally interested in how health insurance schemes contribute to ensuring that the vulnerable and marginalized populations develop more reduced disparities in using health services. I rely on both qualitative and quantitative approaches in arriving at evidence-informed policy design and actions to increase effectiveness and equity in the performance of health insurance programs. I am interested in supervising master’s and doctoral students in the areas of health financing, economic evaluation, poverty analysis, and impact analysis, focusing on healthcare funding models, cost-benefit analysis of interventions, poverty reduction strategies, and causal impact evaluations of development projects and social programs.

Selected Publications

• • Atakorah, Y. B., Arthur, E., Osei-Fosu, A. K., & Novignon, J. (2024). The impact of Ghana’s national health insurance exemption policies on healthcare-seeking behaviour. SSM – Health Systems, 3, 100035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmhs.2024.100035
  • Atakorah, Y. B., Arthur, E.,  Osei-Fosu, A. K. and Novignon, J. (2023). Economic inequalities in health insurance subscription renewal: evidence from Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme. Journals of Social Science and Medicine
  • Novignon, J., Arthur, E., Tabiri, K. G., Atakorah, Y. B., and Nonvignon J. (2023). Does health insurance mitigate the economic impact of negative health outcomes? Evidence from Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme. Journal of Social and Economic Development, 1-21.
  • Novignon, J., Atakorah, Y. B,. and Chirwa, G. C. (2021). Exemption for the poor or the rich? An assessment of socioeconomic inequalities in Ghana’s national health insurance exemption policies. Health Policy and Planning, Vol. 00, No. 0, pp. 1-9.
  • Novignon, J., Atakorah, Y. B., and Djossou, G. N. (2018). How does the health sector benefit from trade openness? Evidence from panel data across Sub-Saharan Africa. African Development Review, Vol. 30, No. 2, pp. 135-148
  • Agbozo, G. K., Ansa-Bonnah, E., Hoedoafia, M. A. and Atakorah, Y. B. (2018). The Role Psychological Contract plays in organizational Behaviour: A Case study of Public Universities in Ghana. European Scientific Journal. Vol 14, No. 23, pp. 34-56
  • Agbozo, G. K., Owusu, I. S., Hoedoafia, M. A. and Atakorah, Y. B. (2017). The Effect of Work Environment on Job Satisfaction: Evidence from the Banking Sector in Ghana. Journal of Human Resource Management. Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 12-18.