Why so much of the world is stuck in a “poverty trap”

Earlier this week, Sciencemag.org published an article that will change the perspective on how the world perceives third world countries. According to a study published by Cornell University nearly half of humanity is poor by international standards. Most of this poverty is concentrated in the low- and middle-income countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America; which is often referred as “the developing world”. Yet, the sad reality is that most of these countries are actually are not developing but at a stand still. More than three billion people in the world live in absolute poverty and over 1.7 billion people consume less than 1.25 and 2.50 U.S  dollars per person per day. Now, for the first time in history, scientists have determined the root cause for this ‘poverty trap’: “Disease, whether of humans, animals, or crops, tends to rob the world’s poorest people of their livelihood, keeping them destitute regardless of how hard they work or how much economic aid they get” (Sciencemag.org).  

Researchers argue that one effective way to break ‘poverty traps’ is to increase that access to health care in these developing countries. They urge national policy makers to create structural changes in their nation’s health care policies by reducing health costs and preventing disease transmission through vaccine coverage.

Hope Out Loud has always believed that each and every individual should be able to have access to affordable healthcare. We aim to provide families around the world with health kits and clean water. This recent study has just fueled our cause and we are more determined than ever to help end the ‘poverty trap’ occurring around the world.

Do your part and help provide a child, family, or village with health access by clicking here.

For a full article on the ‘poverty trap’ by Sciencemag.org click here.