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
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All children should have a fighting chance
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Moving from short-term donor funding to Taliban-supported lasting solutions
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Three takeaways for other low-income countries
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Water Is Life
An interview with Cardinal Michael F. Czerny on the Catholic Church’s water, sanitation, and hygiene project
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Syrians have long suffered from preventable harms and a devastating earthquake compounds those difficulties.
India’s Gig Workers
The death of a food delivery boy reveals obstacles in health-care benefits
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Rapidly developing countries critically need clean household energy
Expanding Mobile Medical Care to Fight Hunger
In Somalia, addressing malnutrition and infectious disease together