Poverty And Why It Is A Serious Issue

There is a perception among everyone that poverty is all about not having sufficient money to meet the fundamental needs of life like food, shelter, and clothing. It is usually referred to as a situation in which an individual lacks the financial resources to maintain a standard of living. However, a person has to bear a lot more than just money. From poor health to harmful diseases and being socially discriminated against, they have to fight it all to survive in this world. Poverty is not only confined to India, but globally it is seen as a wider challenge. It has become a severe issue nowadays,   impacting physical and mental health, the economy, and society. 

What is the meaning of Poverty?

Poverty does exist when individuals are short on their means to satisfy their basic needs of everyday life. However, poverty is considerably more than not having sufficient money. A person suffers more socially rather than individually.

Poverty is the situation of one below the mark of a social measure of cash or material belongings. People below the poverty line are considered inferiors in the eyes of society. They are treated harshly and judged based on their finances. They are offered fewer opportunities due to their condition resulting in their situation getting even worse.

Why has poverty become a serious issue?

As stated above, poverty is much more than inadequate money. People have to suffer from several other things like poor health, hunger, diseases like malnutrition, fewer opportunities in jobs, and the education sector. They face discrimination in society and are not allowed to participate in decision-making. Poverty is a serious issue as it is causing the following problems to the people:

Poor Health and well being

Poverty has affected the health of the people below the poverty line badly. Lack of basic facilities like enough food, clothes, neat and clean surroundings, and medical facilities leads to poor health, making them prone to diseases. 

Such people suffer from malnutrition and don’t have adequate money to purchase medicines or get treatment. Due to these prolonged diseases, such poor individuals die every day.

Stress

The physical health and mental well-being of the person are also affected due to poverty. Lack of money and jobs leads to stress in a person’s life which further causes a decline in the productivity and earning capacity of the individuals.

Child Labour

Due to poverty, people preferred to send their children to work instead of school. A family may not be able to provide proper food to their children, which forces children to start earning at an early age.

Homelessness

Individuals below the poverty line are usually homeless. They sleep on the sides of the road at night as they don’t have any money to build their houses. Families sleeping on the sideroad are very unsafe. There have been many cases when they were hit by vehicles.

Effect on Economy

Poverty is found to be directly proportionate to the success and growth of the economy. Fewer people below the poverty line indicate that the economy is more balanced and growing positively.

Conclusion

It’s not that the world is not conscious of poverty, but it continues to be out of sight of the world’s general public even today. People need to be aware of the reasons and problems caused by poverty.

Poor people are generally exploited by the rich for their benefit.

Therefore it is crucial to understand and work towards the betterment of people below the poverty line. It would also contribute to the development of the economy and country.

If we work on this globally for years with focus and determination, we can reach a level where no one is exploited, and no one has to suffer from hunger or starvation.