Poverty
The link between poverty and premature death and disability is well-documented, but the definition of who is poor and the global distribution of those living in extreme poverty is changing. This section examines the ways in which limited health resources, illness, and poverty are intertwined.
Poverty
3.6 B
In 2020, almost half of the world’s population—3.6 billion people—lacked safe sanitation, according to WHO
Access to toilets globally
1 Percent
India is spending only one percent of its GDP on health
Community health in rural India
11 Million
Approximately 11 million severe burn cases occur globally every year, many in LMICs
Burn injuries in LMICs
94
After Haiti's 7.2-magnitude earthquake in August 2021, 94 of 255 schools were damaged or destroyed
Schools destroyed after Haiti's August 2021 earthquake
2 X
In Lebanon, children who are refugees have twice the risk of dying from a traffic injury than local children
Injuries: A Leading Killer of Youth in Lebanon
90,000
By the end of September 2021, almost 90,000 suspected cholera cases were recorded in Nigeria
Cholera in Nigeria
6 of 10
Extremely poor people are in middle-income nations
Extremely poor people are in middle-income nations
589 M
Number of people living in extreme poverty, 2019
Number of people living in extreme poverty, 2019
Featured
Ebola in Uganda
An interview with emergency physician and Ebola survivor Craig Spencer
Growing Beyond Cultural Barriers in Guatemala
How a young Maya woman is helping other women in her community blossom, one garden at a time
Measles is Raging in Afghanistan
A nationwide vaccination campaign is urgently needed, say CDC measles experts
Tolerating the Pain: Accessing Medical Morphine in Bangladesh
Roadblocks to getting opioids leave seriously ill patients coping with unbearable pain
"10 Bed ICU" Brings Intensive Care Units to India's Rural Towns and Villages
A collaboration between business experts, nonprofit organizations, and India's government is making it happen
The Cleft Palate-Malnutrition Connection
During food crises, children with cleft lip and cleft palate are the most vulnerable of the vulnerable
Seventeen Years Later, HBO Film "Katrina Babies" Asks Child Hurricane Survivors How They Feel
"In America, especially during disaster, Black children are not even a thought"
Tackling Tuberculosis with Strategic Health Diplomacy
Cutting drug prices for tuberculosis holds diplomatic, humanitarian, and economic promise
The Steep Price of Education in Africa
Education is unaffordable for many families in low- and middle-income countries
A Lifelong Struggle With Sickle Cell Disease
The most common inherited disease worldwide is often ignored by health-care providers and policymakers
Shining a Light on Native American Health
AIAN life expectancy has not improved over the past decades, but there are indigenous-led efforts aiming to change that
Surviving Childhood Cancer Depends on Where You Live
How achieving Cancer Moonshot goals will help address pediatric cancer in low- and middle-income countries
The United States Has a Primary Care Problem
It lags far behind when it comes to providing primary health care for Black and Hispanic Americans
Paul Farmer Believed Global Health and Health Equity Were About Teamwork
The director of Stanford's Center for Innovation in Global Health remembers her friend's unwavering mission