The reality is that poverty is caused directly by the circumstances an individual or family faces. Circumstances often beyond anyone’s control. A hungry child and the senior choosing between food and medicine are innocent victims. With low wages and limited benefits, even the hardest working among us find themselves struggling.
The science is clear: the condition of poverty is caused by a person’s particular social determinants of health. The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people live, work and grow. These conditions play a profound role in an individual’s physical, emotional and financial health.
As with any other condition, such as medical or mental, the treatment for the condition of poverty too requires intervention based on science and access to viable, reliable support systems, as well as ensuring that individuals have a clear understanding of what recovery looks like in their lives.