Diseases of Poverty Slums = overcrowding & poor living conditions. Poor sanitation & working conditions. Pollution & an environment conducive to spreading disease.

Diseases of poverty: A collective term used to describe diseases, & health conditions that are more common among the poor. The 3 primary poverty-related diseases (PRDs) across the world are; 1) AIDS, LEDCs account for 95% of the global AIDS cases, 2)Malaria (90% of malaria deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa), and 3)Tuberculosis (TB), LEDCs account for 98% of active tuberculosis infections. Together, these three diseases account for 10% of global deaths Treatable childhood diseases are significantly more common in poor countries (despite a cure being available for decades). These include; 4)Measles, 5)Pertussis (AKA Whooping cough - an infection of the respiratory system caused by a bacterium). 6)Polio, 7)Pneumonia, and 8)Diarrheal diseases.

Diseases of poverty cont’ Poverty is the key risk factor (or determinant) for many such diseases, and Diseases of poverty often go hand in hand with malnutrition. In some cases the diseases themselves are identified as barriers to economic development that would end poverty. Poverty and poor health worldwide are inextricably linked (The cycle of poverty and poor health).

(The cycle of poverty and poor health). Poverty increases your chance of getting ill because of: a)Poor nutrition, b)Overcrowding, c)Lack of clean water & sanitation, d)Lack of Education, e)Social exclusion, f)Harsh realities that may make putting your health at risk the only way to survive or keep your family safe. These factors sustain the cycle of poor health. Poor health increases poverty by: a)Reducing a family’s work productivity b)Leading families to sell assets to cover the costs of treatment. This increases poverty and their vulnerability to shocks in the future.

Can you think of any other reasons why the POOR are more likely to get sick? TASK: Draw a mindmap showing as many reasons that you can think of.

Contributing factors - environmental and social reasons. The poor are more likely to be exposed to infectious diseases. Live in rural areas, which are more susceptible to diseases such as malaria (& are more likely to die from them). Crowded living and working conditions, Inadequate sanitation, Living amidst pollution & human waste (faeces) Disproportionate occupation as sex workers, Working in the ‘informal’ sector with no health or safety controls. Inaccessible, or non-existent health care - can hinder recovery and exacerbate the disease. The lack of qualified midwives during childbirth is partly responsible for the high maternal and infant death rates among the poor. Contaminated water - many of the poverty related diseases spread as a result of inadequate access to clean drinking water. Malnutrition is associated with 54% of childhood deaths from diseases of poverty,

The "vicious circle“ of Poverty & illness - the "ecosystems of poverty." Poverty is the outcome of a dysfunctional ecosystem where the problems causing poverty & illness are all interconnected. Note that this applies to poverty in the MEDCs US as well, not just LEDCs.

People live & work in their own rubbish & waste. Stagnant, fetid water – a breeding ground for mosquitos.

Washing in contaminated water. Imagine the sound of flys & the smell, living amidst a sea of rotting garbage.

Washing your hands before dinner Cité-Soleil (“Sun City”), a foul slum ruled by gangs and sitting in a pool of its own squalor, in Port au Prince, Haiti. ?

Recycling e-waste as a job – exposed to noxious fumes & toxic chemicals.

Diseases of Poverty – Websites: 1)Diseases of poverty and the 10/90 Gap olicyNetwork.pdf olicyNetwork.pdf Xx of-poverty-and-poor-health/ of-poverty-and-poor-health/