Effects of Poverty on Health

Around one-third of the total number of deaths in the world - which roughly amounts to 18 million people every year, are attributed to the diseases of poverty. This and other such facts about poverty highlight the relationship between poverty and poor health very well. A newly coined term, the 'diseases of poverty' refers to various diseases which are more likely to affect poor people as compared to their affluent counterparts. It also encompasses those diseases which can result in poverty for people. Some of the most prominent examples of diseases which are more likely to affect people below the poverty line include AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, measles, pneumonia etc. Most of these diseases are attributed to lack of basic health care facilities. On the other hand, those diseases which can result in poverty for the individual include a range of mental illnesses which tend to hinder the ability of a person to work.