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Essay / The global issue of poverty and its possible solutions
Poverty remains one of the most difficult problems that the world continues to face. “Poverty is a global problem, with more than 3 billion people, almost half the world's population, living on less than $2.50 a day” (Issue Preview: Global Poverty). Poverty rates have declined over the years as new types of financial support have developed, but large numbers of people still live in poverty today. Although poverty causes many problems, the main problem caused by poverty is poor health. Adults and children living in poverty are at higher risk of illness from poor diet and hygiene. Poor health can also affect a growing child's development and make learning more difficult. According to Sheri Marino, "Studies show that chronic stress can impair a young child's early brain development, leading to permanent changes in brain structure and function, thus negatively impacting learning behavior and health” (The effects of poverty on children). ). When a child is not able to succeed in school, they will most likely have difficulty finding employment in the future and, instead of breaking the cycle of poverty and improving their quality of life, rather, it will lead him to start another cycle of poverty. poverty as it is passed on to the next generation. Poverty is a serious problem that affects the health and lifestyle of those living in poverty; but solutions such as increased foreign aid, housing vouchers, lowering the cost of health care and better access to education can all help reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of those who live in poverty. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay The first solution that can help end poverty and improve the health of those living in poverty is to increase the foreign aid. Foreign aid is provided by rich countries to help poor countries develop stronger economies that will help them escape poverty. While hospitals in most countries are equipped with quality medical equipment and professionally trained doctors, some countries lack medical equipment and qualified doctors. Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region of the African continent close to the Sahara Desert, are examples of countries struggling with healthcare. Many lives have been lost due to the lack of medical resources used to treat the sick and the lack of qualified doctors. “While many of the illnesses that affect people in this region are treatable, poor health care infrastructure, prohibitively expensive medical treatments, and a lack of public health education have combined to require an enormous human toll in many countries” (Public Health Assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa: Resolved: That the U.S. government should significantly increase its public health assistance to sub-Saharan Africa). With more medical resources available and trained doctors, more lives would be saved. Foreign aid can help because it can help build nearby hospitals, provide medical equipment, and send qualified doctors. However, this solution has a drawback. According to Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, "as long as poor countries concentrateon aid, they will not strive to improve their economy.” (Development aid: should rich countries continue to provide development aid to poor countries?). Poor countries can become dependent on rich countries, which can become a big problem because instead of finding ways to help their economies, they will likely sit back and wait for support to arrive. Although this solution has drawbacks, it can be used to provide better health care to those living in poverty. Another solution that can help improve the quality of life of people living in poverty are housing vouchers. In the United States, housing vouchers are used to help people who are homeless by giving them the opportunity to find safe, affordable housing. If housing vouchers are available in other countries, this can give low-income citizens the opportunity to live in safe housing, away from the dangers of life on the streets and free from illnesses they might contract it while living on the streets or in crowded shelters where diseases can spread quickly. Living in safe housing can help improve physical and mental health. A safe environment and home are also essential to the development of a growing child. “Additionally, a May 2008 study by the Brookings Institution, a centrist think tank, found that low-income families who moved into more economically stable neighborhoods had better mental health and physical fitness; children have better academic results and adults find jobs more easily, continues the report” (Housing vouchers: do housing vouchers help low-income families?). Better housing contributes to better health, and good health leads to better work and educational outcomes. Good performance at work and school can help the homeless escape poverty and lead to a better quality of life. A disadvantage of housing vouchers is that they can be expensive. “More than half of HUD's budget is devoted to the Section 8 program, at a cost of several billion dollars per year, opponents say. Critics say Section 8 must rein in spending in order to be a viable program” (Housing Vouchers: Do Housing Vouchers Help Low-Income Families?). Since only a small percentage of rent is paid by low-income families with housing vouchers, most of the rent is paid by the government, and rent can be quite expensive, especially for large families who rent larger houses. Although housing vouchers can be expensive and take billions of dollars from the government each year, there is no question that housing vouchers help lift low-income families out of poverty. Another solution that can help end poverty is reducing health care costs. In the United States, a program called Medicaid helps low-income citizens access affordable health care. If a program like Medicaid can be made available in other countries with high poverty rates, it can help reduce mortality rates caused by poverty and improve health. People living in poverty are most likely to contract illnesses and are more prone to illness. Without enough money, it can be difficult to obtain affordable treatments. “It's important to have universal health care so people don't lose their homes due to medical costs and lost time at work” (Wall. John. Personal interview. September 28, 2020). Medical bills canalso cause more problems for low-income citizens. Medicaid has helped people get the treatments they need without having to worry about high costs and has saved millions of lives. “Numerous studies show that by improving access to preventive and primary care and protecting (and treating) serious illnesses, Medicaid has helped improve the health of millions of Americans” (Government Programs and Funding: Programs such as welfare, food stamps, social security, Medicare and Medicaid benefit the United States?). Better access to health care can help individuals live healthier lives, which can help them live longer. However, reducing the cost of health care can be costly and hurt the economy. “In a 2012 column in the New York Post, Michael Tanner of the Cato Institute argued that Medicare – which he called the “800-pound gorilla of the American health care system” – “threatens to bankrupt the country” (Programs government). and Financing: Are government programs such as welfare, food stamps, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid beneficial to the United States?). Reducing health care costs can put a country in significant debt and lead to bankruptcy. Health is important and although it can be expensive, reducing the cost of healthcare can save thousands of lives and help people living in poverty become healthier, which can help them find find a job more easily. The best solution and the essential key to ending poverty is better access to education. “Education plays a critical role in ending poverty and provides a path to healthy relationships, gainful employment, and housing stability” (Brockdorff, Gina. Personal interview. September 25, 2020). Education is an important part of life and the number of job opportunities available to an individual generally depends on the level of education they receive. More job opportunities lead to higher income and a successful life. Higher incomes can also provide safer and better housing. Education can help end the cycle of poverty by helping children from low-income families access more job opportunities in the future, leading to higher incomes and better support for their families. needs of the next generation. Not only can education help children from low-income families have a better life, but it can also raise awareness about agriculture and good hygiene. According to Karyn Adams, “Education improves food security and reduces malnutrition. By educating citizens about agriculture and farming techniques, they become able to grow and sell their own food. This creates a source of income as well as a healthy lifestyle” (How Does Education Affect Poverty?). Learning to farm can help low-income families escape poverty and can even strengthen the economy, while learning good hygiene can lead to a healthier lifestyle. It is important to educate people about good hygiene because it can help them avoid getting sick. However, it can be difficult for countries without sufficient school funding to provide quality education. It can also be difficult to provide quality education when few teachers are available and trained. Although it may be difficult to provide quality education in some countries, development aid can be used to fund schools,.