**2.1 Health the foundation block in eradicating poverty**

We reckon, it is imperative for societies and governments to identify health as a tool and resource against poverty that needs to be protected and guarded. Poverty is defined by the United Nations as a violation of human dignity through not having choices and opportunities. It includes not having basic capacity to participate effectively in a society, not having enough food, clothing, not having access to education or health care, not having land, a job or access to credit facilities [10]. Health, the very condition that defines whether we can attend school or till the

**5**

*Poverty Is Not Poverty: The Reality on the Ground Including the Rural-Urban Divide…*

land, is not emphasised enough in the definitions of poverty. Having land but being in poor health or having access to education but being in poor health is a form of poverty. Health, is therefore the basic block in life which gives one access to education, work, food, clothes and shelter. From a public health perspective, health ought to be identified as a basic block that is essential for the eradication of poverty. One prerequisite to accessing everything else in life though seems to be health**.** Health

Poverty may include social, economic and political elements as seen above [11]. An unemployed young person, who has migrated to a foreign land, leaving behind friends and family, and now illegally living in a crowded township room, might be

How best to help the poor is a longstanding debate [12–17]. Governments and other organisations try to reduce economic poverty by a) providing basic needs to people who are unable to earn a sufficient income like the child grant in South Africa. Barriers are corruption, a dwindling tax base in a society that is driven by the informal sector and ultimately sustainability. Less than half of South Africas'

The physically healthy, the very assets of our economies, are currently not sufficiently being made aware of their wealth-health, and neither are they supported sufficiently to value their own health nor are they protected from environmental pollution, water pollution, unsanitary conditions, and the lack of access to health care services. Many black South Africans live in crowded squalor illegally and with

Many public health facilities are overcrowded. Someone who needs to be seen by a doctor has to calculate many hours of waiting. Many people are forced to take a day or two from work making them time impoverished. Additional hours are also lost daily during the commute to and fro the work, leaving them both time and

Poverty exposes one to violence, since it renders one powerless and excluded from society, living in marginal or fragile environments, with limited access to clean water or sanitation [10]. One can have access to education but being hungry will affect outcomes [12]. Children can be sent to school in poor health, suffering from e.g. anaemia, bilharzia or worms and this will affect outcomes [12]. So, health is a

**5.1 Sickness strips one of agency making one unable to stand up** 

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95901*

**3. Forms of poverty**

poverty affects all the other domains. See **Figure 1** above.

socially, economically and health poor all at once.

rather population eligible for work is formally employed [18].

**4.1 Start by protecting the physically healthy and making them aware** 

**4. Strategies used to address poverty**

**of their wealth-health**

no or limited access to land.

**5. Time poverty**

economically poor [18].

**for oneself or have a voice**

fundamental building block.

**Figure 1.** *What health unlocks.*

*Poverty Is Not Poverty: The Reality on the Ground Including the Rural-Urban Divide… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95901*

land, is not emphasised enough in the definitions of poverty. Having land but being in poor health or having access to education but being in poor health is a form of poverty. Health, is therefore the basic block in life which gives one access to education, work, food, clothes and shelter. From a public health perspective, health ought to be identified as a basic block that is essential for the eradication of poverty. One prerequisite to accessing everything else in life though seems to be health**.** Health poverty affects all the other domains. See **Figure 1** above.
