Poverty remains one of the most challenging problems the world continues to face. “Poverty is a global problem, with more than 3 billion people – nearly half the world's population – living on less than $2.50 a day” (Problem Overview: Global Poverty). Poverty rates have declined over the years as new types of financial support have been developed, but large numbers of people still live in poverty today. Although there are many problems caused by poverty, the main problem caused by poverty is poor health. Both adults and children living in poverty are at increased risk of disease due to poor nutrition and poor hygiene. Poor health can also affect a growing child's development and can make it more difficult for a child to learn. According to Sheri Marino, “Studies show that chronic stress can alter a child's early brain development, leading to permanent changes in brain structure and function, with negative consequences on learning behavior and health” (The Effects of Poverty on Children). When a child fails to do well in school, they will most likely have difficulty finding work in the future, and instead of breaking the cycle of poverty and improving their quality of life, this will instead lead to the start of another cycle of poverty. poverty as it is passed on to the next generation. Poverty is a serious problem that affects the health and lifestyle of those living in poverty; but solutions such as increased foreign aid, housing vouchers, reduced health care costs, and increased access to education can all help reduce poverty and improve the quality of life for those living in poverty. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first solution that can help end poverty and improve the health of those living in poverty is to increase foreign aid. Foreign aid is provided by rich countries to help poor countries develop a stronger economy that will help them lift themselves out of poverty. While in most countries hospitals are equipped with quality medical equipment and professionally trained doctors, some countries do not have medical equipment and do not have qualified doctors. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa, an area of ​​the African continent near the Sahara Desert, are examples of countries that struggle with healthcare. Many lives have been lost due to the lack of medical resources used to treat the sick and the lack of qualified doctors. “While many diseases afflicting people in that region are treatable, poor health infrastructure, prohibitively expensive medical treatments, and a lack of public health education have combined to exact an enormous human toll in many countries” (Public Health Aid to Sub-Saharan Africa: Resolved: That the United States Government should substantially increase its public health care in Sub-Saharan Africa). With more medical resources available and qualified doctors on hand, more lives would be saved. Foreign aid can help in this regard as it can help build nearby hospitals, provide medical equipment, and help send qualified doctors. However, this solution has a disadvantage. According to Paul Kagame, president of Rwanda, “as long as poor nations focus on receiving aid, they will not work to improve their economies.” (Development aid: Rich countries should continue to provide development aidto poor nations?). Poor nations can become dependent on rich countries, which can become a big problem because instead of finding ways to help their economy, they will most likely sit back and wait for support to arrive. Although it has disadvantages, this solution can be used to provide better healthcare to those living in poverty. Another solution that can help improve the quality of life of those living in poverty is housing vouchers. In the United States, housing vouchers are used to help people who are homeless by giving them the opportunity to find safe, affordable housing. If housing vouchers are available in other countries, it can give low-income citizens the opportunity to live in a safe home where they are away from the dangers of life on the streets and away from illnesses or diseases that they might develop from living in road or in other countries. overcrowded shelters where diseases can spread rapidly. Living in a safe home can help improve physical and mental health. A safe environment and home are also essential for the child's developmental growth. “Furthermore, a May 2008 study by the Brookings Institution, a centrist think tank, found that low-income families who moved to more economically stable neighborhoods showed improved mental health and physical fitness; children performed better in school and adults found jobs more easily, the report continues” (Housing Vouchers: Do Housing Vouchers Help Low-Income Families?). Better housing contributes to better health, and good health leads to better work and education outcomes. Doing well in work and school can help homeless people out of poverty and can lead to a better quality of life. One disadvantage of housing vouchers is that they can be expensive. “More than half of HUD's budget is devoted to the Section 8 program, costing billions of dollars a year, opponents say. Critics say Section 8 needs to rein in spending to be a viable program” (Housing Vouchers: Do Housing Vouchers Help Low-Income Families?). Since only a small percentage of rent is paid by low-income families with housing vouchers, the majority of rent is paid by the government, and rent can be quite expensive, especially for larger families renting larger homes . While housing vouchers can be expensive and drain billions of dollars from the government every year, housing vouchers have certainly proven to help low-income families out of poverty. Another solution that can help end poverty is reducing healthcare costs. In the United States, a program called Medicaid helps low-income citizens access affordable healthcare. If a program like Medicaid could be available in other countries with high poverty rates, it could help reduce death rates caused by poverty and improve health. People living in poverty are more likely to contract diseases and are more prone to disease. Without enough money, it can be difficult to get affordable treatments. “It is important to have universal healthcare so that people do not lose their homes due to medical bills and lost time at work” (Wall. John. Personal interview. September 28, 2020). Medical bills can also cause more problems for low-income citizens. Medicaid has helped people get the right care they need without having to worry about high costsand saved millions of lives. Medicaid has helped make millions of Americans healthier” (Government Programs and Funding: Are government programs such as welfare, food stamps, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid beneficial to the United States?). Improved access to healthcare can help people live healthier lives and in turn live longer. However, lowering health care costs can be expensive and can be harmful to the economy. “In a 2012 article for the New York Post, Michael Tanner of the Cato Institute argued that Medicare – which he called the '800-pound gorilla of the American healthcare system” – “is threatening to bankrupt the country” (Government Programs and financing: Are government programs such as welfare, food stamps, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid beneficial to the United States?). Reducing healthcare costs can lead a country into large debt and can lead to bankruptcy. Health is important, and while it can be expensive, reducing health care costs can save thousands of lives and help people living in poverty become healthier, which can help them find work more easily. The best solution and the essential key to ending poverty is better access to education. “Education plays a vital role in ending poverty and builds pathways to healthy relationships, paid work, and housing stability” (Brockdorff, Gina. Personal interview. September 25, 2020). Education is an important part of life, and the number of job opportunities available to an individual usually depends on the amount of education they receive. More job opportunities lead to higher incomes and a successful life. Higher income can also provide safe and better housing. Education can help end the cycle of poverty by helping children of low-income families access more job opportunities in the future, leading to a higher income and more resources to provide for the next generation. Not only can education help children from low-income families have a better life, but it can also educate citizens about agriculture and good hygiene practices. According to Karyn Adams, “Education improves food security and reduces malnutrition. By educating citizens about agriculture and farming techniques, they become capable of growing and selling their own food. This creates a source of income and healthy living” (How does education affect poverty?). Learning about agriculture can help low-income families lift themselves out of poverty and can even strengthen the economy, while learning good hygiene can lead to healthier lifestyles. Educating people about good hygiene is important because it can help them avoid getting sick. However, it can be difficult for countries that do not have sufficient school funding to provide quality education. It can also be difficult to provide quality education when not many teachers are available and trained. While it may be difficult to provide quality education in some countries, development aid can be used to support school funding, greater access to school materials and better teacher training. If the world wants to end poverty, education must become a priority and, above all, all children should have access to quality education. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay Poverty is a problem that affects every country in the world and it is important to find solutions and take small steps to put an end to it.