Transcript Poverty and Health in Developing Countries

Student Engagement Resources
International Health
Poverty and Health In Developing Countries
Poverty and Health in
Developing Countries
Poverty is associated with the undermining of a
range of key human attributes, including
health. The poor are exposed to greater
personal and environmental health risks, are
less well nourished, have less information and
are less able to access health care; they thus
have a higher risk of illness and disability.
Links
Read the introduction to the article: OECD:
Poverty and Health in Developing Countries
Discussion Questions
You may use the following questions to help facilitate a discussion after
reading/watching the article/video mentioned above.
1. Which is more important: diseases that affect children, or diseases that affect
working age adults?
• Explore the meaning of “important” – important for social welfare, for
economic growth, on moral or ethical grounds, etc.
2. Do rich country governments have a responsibility to help poor countries achieve
better health? Why or why not?
• How would you respond to this question from your own political and ethical
perspectives, and how would you think national governments in wealthy
countries act relative to the “right” approach. Are governments in highincome countries consistent in their policies? How have they responded to
the AIDS crisis differently than other health problems in the developing
world? Why?
Go Further
Read the rest of the article by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) to see how poverty and health in developing countries has a
direct correlation.