How does poverty impact health and wellbeing?

Poverty encompasses a spectrum of the absence of income, productive assets and maintainable living. It is manifested in several ways that include exclusion and social discrimination, malnutrition, lack of participation in decision making, hunger, and little access to learning and other basic needs (Unnatural Causes, 2008).  Poverty impacts people’s lives as they have no access to basic needs. Poor people are more likely to have a shorter life expectancy and a worse quality of life (Unnatural Causes, 2008). The poor people have worse health as they cannot afford good insurance cover. In turn, their problems make them suffer from mental frustrations and stress, thus giving them the poor quality of life (Unnatural Causes, 2008). Racial inequality also affects people of colour where, due to their poverty levels, get less access to amenities and die sooner. Racial disparities and discrimination also contribute to high infant mortality rates among people of colour as they have bad birth outcomes as poverty influences the mortality gap (Unnatural Causes, 2008). Poverty, therefore, affects the lives of individuals in numerous ways, which then impact their quality of life.   

There are distinct characteristics of poverty that can be influenced by public health policies. The racial inequality aspect of poverty could be remedied by public health policies where they can bar discrimination in healthcare facilities (Unnatural Causes, 2008). Public health policies can also influence medical insurance given to individuals in the lower tiers to ensure they still have a chance at a better quality of life with the right medication (Unnatural Causes, 2008). The other characteristic of poverty that can be influenced by public health policies is hunger and malnutrition (Unnatural Causes, 2008). The health policies can be focused on ensuring relief food reaches those who have malnutrition and are hungry to ensure they receive food that contributes to them having good health and living longer. 

Reference 

Unnatural Causes. (2008). Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/unnaturalcauses/