Student’s Last Name 1

Student’s Name

Professor’s Name

Subject

DD MM YYYY
THE IMPACT OF POVERTY ON HEALTH
DEFINITION
The word poverty is a polysemantic word. The most suitable definition for this topic is
that it is the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support;
condition of being poor (Oxford dictionary). The problem of poverty is one of the most pressing
global issues nowadays. Millions of people all over the world suffer from poverty and its damage
to human mental and physical health is disastrous.
THE CURRENT SITUATION
 Compared to the estimates produced in October 2016, the total number of poor increased
by 2.5 million (from 766.0 to 768.5 million), leaving the share of the global population
that is considered extremely poor unchanged at 10.7 percent (“The World Bank”).
 The World Bank states that “despite the progress made in reducing poverty, the number
of people living in extreme poverty globally remains unacceptably high” (“Poverty”).
“And given global growth forecasts poverty reduction may not be fast enough to reach
the target of ending extreme poverty by 2030” (“Poverty”).
EFFECTS OF POVERTY ON HEALTH
 Poverty affects both physical and mental health of the person. According to various
researches poverty may cause such mental diseases as depression, anxiety, constant stress
etc.
 Over 1 in 3 low-income people face food insecurity. Heart disease, diabetes, high blood
pressure, stress and food allergies are more common among families unable to ensure a
stable food supply (“Poverty Health Hazard For All”).
 According to the article, “overcrowded and poor living conditions can contribute to the
spread of airborne diseases such as tuberculosis and respiratory infections such as
pneumonia” (“Poverty and Poor Health”). It is also stated that “reliance on open fires or
traditional stoves can lead to deadly indoor air pollution” (“Poverty and Poor Health”).
Moreover, “a lack of food, clean water and sanitation can also be fatal” (“Poverty and
Poor Health”).
 Student’s Last Name 2

 Over 10,000 children die every day because they live in poor housing (“Effects of
Poverty on Health, Children and Society”). Families who live in a properly constructed
home are less likely to fall prey to serious diseases (tuberculosis, diarrhoea, and malaria)
and are better equipped to recover from any illnesses they may contract (“Effects of
Poverty on Health, Children and Society”).
 “More than 750 million people lack adequate access to clean drinking water” (“Progress
on Drinking Water and Sanitation”). “Diarrhea caused by inadequate drinking water,
sanitation, and hand hygiene kills an estimated 842,000 people every year globally, or
approximately 2,300 people per day” (“Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation”).
 According to the World Food Programme, “the poor are hungry and their hunger traps
them in poverty” (“What Causes Hunger”). It is also stated that “hunger is the number
one cause of death in the world, killing more than HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis
combined” (“What Causes Hunger”).
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
Overall, the problem of poverty is one of the most intractable problems and the solutions to it
normally require lots of funding. One of the ways to solve it is to develop the system of
sanitation and healthcare in poor countries. It is also important to create more jobs and to
provide people from poor countries with good education so that they could have an
opportunity for social mobility.
 Student’s Last Name 3

Works Cited
“Effects of poverty on health, children and society.” Retrieved from
https://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk/what-we-do/building-and-renovating-
homes/effects-of-poverty/
Ferreira, Francisco. The 2017 global poverty update from the World Bank. 2017.
Khowaja, Nosheen. “Poverty Health Hazard for All.” http://bcpovertyreduction.ca/wp-
content/uploads/2014/09/2014_prc-health-factsheet.pdf
“Poverty and poor Health.” Retrieved from https://www.healthpovertyaction.org/info-and-
resources/the-cycle-of-poverty-and-poor-health/key-facts/
“Poverty.” 2016. Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/overview
World Food Programme. “What causes hunger?.” Food Programme Fighting Hunger
Worldwide, 2010. Web Accessed February 22, 2014.
World Health Organization and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP). “Progress on
Drinking Water and Sanitation.” 2014 Update.