Poverty and Poor Health Reinforce Each Other
Health has intrinsic value for every person, but it is also essential for people to learn, work, and make a living. Sick people who don’t receive care can’t work, and they get poor or stay poor; and people who are poor are at higher risk of getting sick. Breaking this vicious cycle is an enormously complex endeavor requiring change in many areas other than health services. But under any scenario, better access to health services for people stuck in this cycle is integral to positive change on a humanitarian level and for economic productivity.
In developing countries, financing health services is extremely difficult. The trained health professionals in medically underserved communities represent the most important part of the healthcare infrastructure. Direct Relief’s support enables them to stay productively engaged so their patients can receive needed care.