The Link between Health and Poverty - Essay Example

? Link between Health and Poverty By Insert Presented to Location Due Essay Mind Plan Literature Review Introduction Introduction Health is intertwined through a number of issues such as physical status, mental conditions and emotional status of an individual. Further, a healthy body depends on a healthy environment within the confines of an individual. It seeks to understand human societies and their behaviors. Sociology has contributed immensely in drawing scientific conclusions by framing queries on particular issues in the society. Karl Marx, a great philosopher, believed that societies progress through a coherence of class struggle between the rich who controls societal systems and underprivileged members of society who act as their subjects. According to Marx, the scenery of societal systems could be improved through the idea of socialism where all members of the society enjoy a fair and equal share. The essay will examine how the societal systems contribute to poverty whose impacts are felt in access to health care. This essay offers valuable and elaborate guidance for health service providers. The assessment of the aspects poverty in relation to access to health care shows a close link both abstractly and operationally. Link between Health and Poverty Access to good health care is dependent on the financial status of an individual. Poor people have limited access to health care facilities as compared to the rich people. It is worth noting that material deficiency and the numerous social disadvantages associated with poverty makes it impossible for poor people to access health care (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 232). Due to the strong connection between poverty and health, there have been deliberate efforts to reduce poverty as one of the ways to make it possible for all people to access health care. Poverty is not only limited to individual citizens but cuts across to institutions and nations (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 232). For instance, poor nations are not able to carry out adequate research or invest in health care facilities due to limited financial resources. It is noted that majority of people who have died out of HIV’AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa (Saunders, 1998, p. 12). This is due to lack of finances to purchase drugs and carry out research on the disease. These mechanisms can help clarify why the impacts of poverty on health may continue to hit if poverty is considered in relation provisions rather than as an absolute deficiency (Saunders, 1998, p. 13). Assessing the links between poverty and health is significant for policy makers since it draws consideration to the likelihood that poverty can be associated with adverse health outcomes. It also helps in examining the distribution of income and health inequalities. Moreover, social aspects of health and social environment give rise to the values and practices that control health conditions and costs (Saunders, 1998, p. 17). Since the health sector has minimal authority over most powerful influences on health, such as education, food, shelter, environmental risks, and work conditions, it meets the practical difficulties of recognizing how it can successfully work to disrupt the brutal cycle of poverty to access to health care (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 234). Marx criticized capitalism system arguing that it resulted in class struggle where some enjoyed prime services at the expense of the underprivileged (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 234). The basic principle of human rights, which include health, upholds all people equally. The issue of the guidelines to be adopted in human rights has been controversial due to differing policies, culture and beliefs in the society (Young, 1999, p. 269). Marx stipulated that the human dignity should be respected including other necessities of life. He argued that capitalism results in discrimination, which may cause high poverty levels in a country due to poor policies and implementation of the government policies, high incidences of impunity, skewed distribution of country’s wealth, scarce resources and poor health (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 235). There is a need to promote a culture that will result in balancing natural challenges and moral necessities such as food, water and health (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 234). Poverty and health are closely related matters of global concern. Poor countries are likely to have worse health outcomes compared to developed nations. In many nations, poor people have inferior health outcomes compared the wealthy individuals. Besides, weakness in health service provision is often linked to substantial health care charges. It is important to note that poverty is a contributor to ill-health (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 232). Poor nations and individuals in such nations are likely to suffer from a variety of deprivations, thus turning into high levels of ill health. Poor people often live in areas that have poor drainage and risky, thus compromising on their health status. Inhabitable environments expose them to the risk of contracting diseases yet they have a strained budget to pay for such services (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 232). The society is affected by vices such as inequality and favoritism in attitude and behaviors based on sex stereotypes, ethnic, originality, economic and social status. It leads to biased actions and consequently denial of basic rights especially for the underprivileged members (Browne, 2006, p. 15). The result was a good and fascinating series which varies in most discipline from the famous formation of an equal society. The legal, political, education and health systems in a society are influenced by the established economic order. This course as practiced in medical sociology is geared towards establishing the social genesis of a disease. In capitalism system, health is affected directly and indirectly in the production cycles (Barry & Yuill, 2003, p. 14). This is prevalent in industries where injuries, stress and pollution-related diseases are commonly reported. Additionally, diseases are likely to occur as a result of consumption of products manufactured in industries. For instance, consumption of food products with additives are a major cause of heart-related diseases and cancer (White, 2009, p. 16). Production processes are a great contributor to environmental pollution which is a catalyst for diseases such as bronchitis and leukemia. Furthermore, distribution and access to healthcare is determined by income and standards of living (Browne, 2006, p. 15). Wealthy people are able to afford better health care facilities and quality medication. These features form a social pattern in health that tends to discriminate the poor since their income is low to tend to such social requirements (White, 2009, p. 16). Health is recognized as a biological condition and sociologists assert that spread of diseases is dependent on factors such as socioeconomic status, beliefs and cultural influences. For instance, demographics are analyzed when carrying out a medical research on the causes of a certain disease (Germov, 2009, p. 31). Health outcomes for the population are seen as being influenced by the operation of the capitalist economic system at two levels. Within the capitalist societies, health matters have progressed with refined technology in drug production. Poor societies are more likely to fall ill compared to richer societies (Sharrock, Hughes, & Martin, 2003, p. 26). Some drugs and medication charges are not easily accessible especially by the low-income earners due to the high prices. For instance, cancer patients in the least developed areas have been subjected to low quality medication and clinical care. As a result, many people die out of preventable diseases due to early detection or lack of treatment fees. It is important to note that the rich controls the health organizations, health research institutions and drug distribution, thus making it difficult for the poor people to make any significant decision or policy on health matters (Bond & Bond, 1994, p. 22). Further to protecting people from discrimination in access to health, legislations that will enable rightful access to health should be enacted in all nations (White, 2009, p. 6). This has been achieved in some areas through creating enforcement agencies and institutions to monitor progress and recommend necessary changes (White, 2009, p. 6). By tackling socioeconomic differences in health care and health policies in any nation are important for equal access to health facilities (Germov, 2009, p. 30). This should address areas such as health information technology to shape a coordinated and focused national policy in support of patient care (Andersen & Taylor, 2011, p. 56). According to Marx, a socially supportive atmosphere prompts the adoption of healthy behaviors. This can be realized when all people have equal and unlimited access to health facilities irrespective of class (Bond & Bond, 1994, p. 22). Conclusion Poverty is a key determinant in the access to health care in our societies. While poor people have limited access to health facilities, it should be noted that poor condition can also cause diseases. Limited resources in nations harbor the investment on the one of the basic need in a human being, health. The role of the society in providing a platform for change and addressing health issues cannot be overemphasized. Members of the society should be educated on how to embrace diverse culture, customs and practice of other people irrespective of gender, class and race. Authorities have an obligation to pursue an elaborate culture within their systems and eventually help change and improve health perspective. Every social, cultural and political action, according to Marx presumes a prevailing category that maintains, controls and manages production system. Consequently, they either directly or indirectly influence the healthcare systems in a society. However, some sociologists argue that certain actions and policies may lead to unintended purposes due to ignorance. References Andersen, M. L., & Taylor, H. F. 2011. Sociology : the essentials 7th ed.. Belmont: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Barry, A.-M., & Yuill, C. 2003. Understanding health : a sociological introduction 2nd ed.. London: Sage Publ. Bond, J., & Bond, S. 1994. Sociology and health care : an introduction for nurses and other health care professionals 2nd ed.. New York: Churchill Livingstone. BRAVEMAN, P. and GRUSKIN, S., 2003. Poverty, equity, human rights and health. World Health Organization.Bulletin of the World Health Organization, pp. 539-545. Browne, K. 2006. Introducing sociology : for AS level 2nd ed.. Cambridge: Polity. Germov, J. 2009. An introduction to health sociology 4th ed.. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Pieratt-Seeley, C. (2002). Marxism and Social Science. Contemporary Sociology , 31 (Vol. 2), 234-236. SAUNDERS, P., 1998. Poverty and Health: Exploring the Links Between Financial Stress and Emotional Stress in Australia. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, pp. 11-16. Sharrock, W. W., Hughes, J. A., & Martin, P. J. (2003). Understanding modern sociology (2nd ed.). London : SAGE. Young, T. R. (1999). Marxism and sociology movements: Theory and practice for social justice. Contemporary Sociology , 28 (Vol. 3), 268-270. Read More