HCR6001 - Health & Sustainability: Poverty and Healthcare Challenges

This report examines the critical intersection of global health and sustainability, focusing on the challenges faced by South Africa in providing adequate healthcare services to its population, particularly those living in poverty. It highlights issues such as inadequate infrastructure, inequality in service provision, the impact of political factors, disparities in healthcare quality, human resource shortages, and the detrimental effects of malnutrition. The report also touches upon the Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for addressing these issues and promoting overall well-being. Ultimately, the report concludes that South Africa's progress is hindered by the lack of accessible healthcare, exacerbating poverty and inequality and impeding national growth and development.

Global Health and Sustainability

INTRODUCTION
 Today the increasing rate of poverty is a major concern in the world. It is because of non availability of
proper health care services. Due to this poor people are suffering from various dangerous diseases. The
report presented by United Nations shows that the South African people have suffered the most in
health care. People are not getting care services to sustain for long time. Moreover, the quality of
services provided to them is very low as compared to other nations.

Cont..
 There are various problems relating to poverty and health care. It affects the living standard of people
and society. Apart from this, people are not able to afford them as they do not have enough money. So it
must be made easy to provide access of these services to people in South Africa. Problems relating to
health care are discussed below:-

Infrastructure
 Health sector requires a proper infrastructure for providing services. South Africa is not
having a proper infrastructure. It is due to poor economic condition and low per capita
income of people. This has affected access to health care for people. Also, the funds
provided by different organisations is not been properly used.

Inequality trap
Another problem of increasing rate of poverty and health services is inequality among people.
Services are been provide according to people ability to pay. It has resulted in inequality
affecting the living standard of people. High and low class people are been discriminated on
the basis on their income. This is avoiding poor people to get health facilities therefore,
leading to poverty.

Social and political factors
 Due to frequently changing of political factors, the health sector is highly been affected. It
is because of different policies and standards set by different governments. It is only
affecting poor people as they are not getting proper services. That is leading to increase in
poverty. Due to change in policies, the focus on health sector is not been maintained.

Wide disparities in health care
 The disparities in this sector is rising due to several reasons. It includes inequality, per
capita income, etc. This leads to better quality services to high class people and low quality
to poor people. It has increased gap in rich and poor people. Besides this, many states are
facing health crises due to non availability of public health care infrastructure.

Human resources
 They are the major pillars of every sector. South Africa is not having experienced and
qualified people working in health sector. Also, many people are migrating for better
education. This is due to low growth and development of nation and increasing poverty.
Moreover, due to low income people can not afford to educate their children.

Poverty and malnutrition
 This is the major problem faced by south Africa in health sector. People are earning less than a dollar
per day. With this they are not able to get basic health facilities. It has influenced the life's of people.
Malnutrition has enhanced due to low growth and development of health sector.


Sustainable development
The goals that are also known as global goals. It is developed to end poverty, protect the
planet and ensuring that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. It contains 17 goals of
Millennium Development Goals that includes areas such as climate change, economic
inequality, innovation, peace and justice, sustainable consumption, etc. all these goals are
interconnected to each other that means key to success of one will help in tackling issues that
are associated with another.

CONCLUSION:
 From this report it is concluded that South Africa is adversely affected by poor
availability of health services to people. It has resulted in increase in poverty and
inequality among people. Also, the nation is not been able to grow and develop due to low
per income level of people. The poor people are highly affected by change in political
conditions. Due to non availability of health care various diseases are rising and affecting
the mental and physical health of people.

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