Previous studies have consistently found an inverse relationship between household-level poverty and health status. However, what is not well understood is whether and how the average economic status at the community level plays a role in the poverty–health relationship. The study investigated the concentration of poverty at the community level in Tanzania and its association with the availability and quality of primary health care services, the utilization of services, and health outcomes among household categories defined by wealth scores.
Poverty and health
Geographic aspects of poverty and health in Tanzania: does living in a poor area matter?
Mahmud Khan et al, Health Policy and Planning 2006; 21: 110-122.
Health and wellbeing in Udaipur and South Africa
PAHO
This paper presents a descriptive account of health and economic status in India and South Africa – countries in very different positions in the international hierarchy of life expectancy and income. It analyses the correlates of health and wellbeing in our sites.
Modelling PRSP II & poverty reduction in Mozambique
This paper outlines the regression analysis addressed to determine variables and factors influencing poverty alleviation in Mozambique and estimate their magnitude; its aim being to support the careful interpretation of poverty estimates and to emphasise the need for policy makers to account for poverty measurement in their work.
Oxfam warns of poor donor response for East Africa
SARPN
This newsflash from Nairobi this week emphasises how "..a searing drought that has put at least 11-million people across East Africa on the brink of starvation risks turning into a catastrophe if donors fail to respond quickly to the situation, an aid agency warned on Thursday".
WFP bought R600m food from Southern Africa
The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) in Southern Africa on Tuesday announced that it spent nearly R600-million ($100-million) in 2005, double the amount in 2004, buying more than half a million tonnes of food in the region to support vulnerable people across Africa. About 337 000 tonnes of food, worth R372-million ($62-million) was purchased in South Africa by WFP's regional headquarters in Johannesburg.
Reaching the poor with health services
World Bank publication
The poor suffer from far higher levels of ill health, mortality, and malnutrition than do the better-off; and their inadequate health is one of the factors keeping them poor or for their being poor in the first place. The health of the poor must thus be a matter of major concern for everyone committed to equitable development, from policy makers to service providers. Health services can make an important contribution to improved health conditions among disadvantaged groups. Yet as the contents of this volume make clear, the health services supported by governments and by agencies like ours too often fail to reach these people who need them most.
Pathways from poverty: Evaluating long-term strategies
John Hoddinott, Agnes Quisumbing, Alain de Janvry, and Tassew Woldehanna
The Millennium Declaration of the United Nations committed the global community to halving, by 2015, the proportion of the world's population who live in poverty and suffer from hunger. Attaining the United Nations' goal requires good governance, a genuine political commitment by both developed and developing countries, and increased resources. Yet, reducing global poverty also requires a clear understanding of the factors that predict whether an individual or household will become less poor or more poor over time. Intervention programs often are evaluated on a short time frame, even though such interventions may have long-term effects.
Breaking the link between poverty and illness
Cutting poverty and reducing the burden of disease are major global development goals. Can strategies tackle these tasks in parallel, by focusing on very poor people? The health sector can borrow strategies from welfare services to reduce the risk of health-related shocks, ease their impact and break the vicious cycle of poverty and ill-health. Poor people often have higher risks of adverse events and fewer means to cope with them than wealthier groups. A paper produced for a UK Department for International Development workshop analyses health-related shocks.
The social and economic impact of South Africa’s social security system
Economic Policy Research Institute (EPRI), South Africa , 2004
Social grants play a critical role in reducing poverty and promoting development in South Africa. This study evaluates the socio-economic impact of various social grants including child support grants, disability grants and state pensions. The paper further examines their effects on the household, the labour market and the economy. The paper begins by assessing the impact of social assistance on poverty reduction. To evaluate the level of poverty, the authors use different methodological approaches including absolute and relative measures. The second section investigates the effects of social grants on households’ access to health care, schooling, housing, water and electricity. The third section examines the impact of social security on employment and productivity. Finally the paper analyses the impact of this public expenditure on macro-economic indicators including national savings and consumption.
What is the impact of IMF, WB and WTO liberalization and privatization of the water service sector on the poor?
Is the water privatization heavily promoted by the International Financial Institutions, a good thing for the poorest in the developing countries? A new report by Nancy Alexander of the Citizen's network on essential services takes a skeptical view. A UN report, "Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Liberalization of Trade in Services and Human Rights" claimed that increased foreign private investment in public services can upgrade national infrastructure, introduce new technology and provide employment. However, the report also argues that it can lead to negative impacts to the poorest.