Reducing Poverty, Improving Health

Poverty reduction approaches may improve health by addressing the most persistent and central correlate to morbidity and mortality: low income. There is substantial evidence that higher income is correlated to better health outcomes and lower income to worse health outcomes, often because material resources essential for health—nutritious food, safe housing, and the education to make healthy decisions—require adequate income. Hence, numerous actors—governments, international organizations, and community groups—have sought to reduce poverty as a strategy to improve health. This chapter reviews key historical lessons from efforts to reduce poverty and improve health worldwide.