Eradication of Poverty and Income Inequality On Health and Healthcare Accessibility
Several studies have established that there is an undeniable relationship between health and socioeconomic status of the members of the society. Socioeconomic status is measured by assessing indicators that depict an individual’s accessibility to prestige, social capital, or resources, such as education, income, and occupation. The differences in socioeconomic status are reflected in various societal aspects, including health. Absence of universal health and quality public health system creates a disparity in the quality and accessibility of healthcare among the people from different social classes. The Healthcare system comprises of the public and the private sectors. In most parts of the world, the private health sector is known to offer high quality services at high costs. On the other hand, the public health sector in most countries either offers free or low-cost healthcare services. However, most of these services are of low quality, and sometimes they are delayed due to the large number of people seeking the services vis a vis the small number of service providers. The members of the higher socioeconomic status seek healthcare from the private sector since they can afford the high charges while their lower socioeconomic status peers rely on the congested public healthcare facilities where the quality of services is low (Uzochukwu, 2017)). This gap should be bridged through governmental interventions. Distribution policies that reduce poverty and income inequality will ensure equal distribution of income and assets to improve the health of all people and promote affordable healthcare services.
Background Information
Individuals with relatively higher status experience better health outcomes as compared to their less advantaged peers. This difference is seen in the health outcomes of the two groups, such as life expectancy, mortality rates, and general health status. High-income earners can afford nutritious and balanced diets for their children. Children from such families, therefore, grow up healthy because they are the diets boost their immunity against many diseases. On the contrary, children from low-income families mostly lack balanced diets because their parents cannot afford such healthy foods. The children from the low-status backgrounds are at risk of contracting diseases due to low immunity that is occasioned by their poor feeding habits. This disparity contributes to the difference in infant mortality rates between the two social classes. In their 2017 study, Wilkinson and Pickett established that calorie consumption and obesity are prevalent in more unequal regions and societies and are likely to indicate compulsive over-eating and ‘consumption for comfort’ (Wilkinson, & Pickett, 2017). Another factor in the health difference among individuals from different social classes is the quality of healthcare that the two factions can access. Members of the high socioeconomic status can afford the more expensive healthcare services that are offered by the highly established healthcare facilities. On the contrary, low socioeconomic individuals cannot afford the high quality healthcare services and have to rely on the public healthcare facilities, which in most cases are congested and less equipped. In 2019, Best, K. E., Vieira, R., Glinianaia, S. V., and Rankin, J. contacted a study to determine the mortality rates of the children suffering from congenital heart disease. According to their findings, the mortality rate was significantly higher in the public than in the private hospital attendants. The in-hospital mortality in public facilities was 40% more than that of the patients under private health insurance (Best, Vieira, Glinianaia & Rankin, 2019).
Solutions to the global societal issue
The government can solve the global societal issue of income inequality, poverty, and healthcare disparity by developing policies that ensure equal distribution of income and assets promote affordable healthcare services. One way of solving this societal issue the provision of high quality and affordable healthcare services in public hospitals. Governments should invest in their healthcare system to equip the public healthcare facilities to be on par with their private sector counterparts in terms of service delivery. The governments should increase human and nonhuman resources in the public healthcare system. This move would provide an opportunity for individuals from low and high socioeconomic status to access healthcare services of the same quality (Michelson, Riis & Johnson, 2016). The health status of children will be similar across all social classes.
Another way of solving this global societal issue is by providing free or subsidized education for members of the low socioeconomic status. Educational level is one of the major contributing factors to the socioeconomic status of individuals. Children from high income and wealthy families access quality education and end up getting well-paying jobs, while their peers from economically disadvantaged families cannot afford quality education. This difference makes the rich parents raise children who become wealthy like their parents. The low socioeconomic parents raise children who end up poor because they cannot afford quality education (Odgers, 2015). If specific governments invest in the provision of affordable education for all the children, the issue of inequality, income, and poverty will end. This strategy would provide equal education opportunities for children from all backgrounds. The kids from poor backgrounds would get opportunities to well-paying jobs like their economically advantaged peers. The move is likely to reduce income inequality by providing an avenue for equal distribution of income and assets. The distribution will also ensure that all the members of society can afford quality healthcare services. The standards of living will also improve and; hence, reduce the contraction of diseases that are caused by poor diets.
Conclusion
Governments can reduce poverty and income inequality by formulating distribution policies that can lead to equal distribution of income and assets. This strategy would improve the health of all people and promote affordable healthcare services. Some of the appropriate policies are the provision of affordable and high quality public healthcare and education systems. Improved and subsidized healthcare services would ensure that all individuals receive quality services irrespective of their socioeconomic status. The affordable education system is an opportunity for members of society to bridge the income gap.
References
Best, K. E., Vieira, R., Glinianaia, S. V., & Rankin, J. (2019). Socioeconomic inequalities in mortality in children with congenital heart disease: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology, 33(4), 291-309.
Michelson, N., Riis, J. L., & Johnson, S. B. (2016). Subjective social status and psychological distress in mothers of young children. Maternal and child health journal, 20(10), 2019-2029.
Odgers, C. L. (2015). Income inequality and the developing child: Is it all relative? American Psychologist, 70(8), 722.
Wilkinson, R. G., & Pickett, K. E. (2017). The enemy between us: The psychological and social costs of inequality. European Journal of Social Psychology, 47(1), 11-24.
Uzochukwu, K. (2017). The associations between neighborhood constructs, physical activity, and childhood obesity: Understanding race and income disparities. Journal of Urban Affairs, 39(3), 421-435.