Dan Shaer

We all know that living in poverty and poor living conditions creates a much higher risk to acquire and develop any one or more diseases from a long list of possibilities. The major ones include AIDS, tuberculosis, measles, pneumonia, and diarrheal diseases. This list grows when you look at possible diseases that develop due to poor hygiene: Hepatitis, Blepharitis, Cholera, Cysticercosis, Neurocysticercosis, Pediculosis, Relapsing fever, Rotavirus, Scabies, and many more. Add the effects of malnutrition, poor diet, obesity, smoking, and drug abuse. And then consider the limited access to health care, preventative care, physicians, hospitalization, immunizations, vaccinations, and screening.
There are many factors that play a role in the relationship between poverty and health. Besides poor environmental conditions they include low education levels and awareness of required medical care, financial barriers in accessing health services, and a lack of resources necessary to maintain good health. People living in poverty have a shorter life expectancy and higher infant mortality rates.
There is much more than access to clean water, healthy food, and decent health care. Education is key. People must learn to use the resources available to live a healthier lifestyle. They must be shown alternatives and educated about their benefits as opposed to the unhealthy “normal” ways. Hygiene must be enforced in the household especially when it comes to children, who’s immune systems are still developing. Washing your hands will eliminate bacteria before you ingest food. Simply brushing your teeth even without toothpaste also eliminates bacteria and sugar off your teeth. These simple things that are second nature to people with higher incomes must be taught to become a habit of lower income individuals.
With limited income, it may be hard to buy healthier foods, thus they consume processed and high fat foods. I would recommend some form of daily exercise to balance the equation. Some people don’t have space to exercise, or live in dangerous neighborhood and taking a walk or a jog around the block could be risky.
There are many barriers that need to be overcome but I think some form of education will open their eyes and put things in perspective so that they would make a change from within, and teach their families healthier ways to live and prevent diseases.