Introduction
Poverty is a multifaceted concept that describes lack of resources that are necessary in order for people to get access to basic human needs that include food, shelter, and clothing (Gilbert, 2004). According to the United Nations, more than 3 billion in the world live in poverty (Maconick, 2002).
Among these, about 1 billion are children. Poverty is primarily associated with inequality in the political, social, and economic realms. The United Nations measures poverty based on factors such as health, education, hunger, shelter, and availability of utilities (Maconick, 2002). Each country has its individual poverty index based on the availability of economic opportunities and social amenities such as education and health services. Different countries use several strategies to eradicate poverty. These strategies include provision of universal social services, eradication of corruption, empowerment of people living in poverty, improvement of education and health services, and provision of clean water and sanitation in communities (Gilbert, 2004).
Increasing access to education
Education plays an important role in the eradication of poverty. Every developed country knows the importance of education in poverty eradication and wealth creation. Several research studies conducted by non-governmental organizations such as UNESCO and the United Nations have revealed that educating people effectively lifts them from poverty and improves the quality of their lives (Maconick, 2002).
According to the Human Capital Theory, education increases the skills and productivity of people from poor households and exposes individuals to opportunities that are only available to people with a certain level of education (Whitman, 2008). One of the challenges that poor people face is education funding. Poor families cannot raise enough money to educate their children. It is important for governments to create education funds for the sake of children from poor families (Whitman, 2008). Social and economic inequality is a major source of poverty that can be eradicated through provision of quality education (Gilbert, 2004).
Studies have shown a direct correlation between economic development and the level of education attained by individuals. According to the World Bank, subsidies on primary education usually favor the poor. However, similar subsidies on higher education usually favor rich people because poor families cannot afford to pay for higher education. A 2002 report released by UNICEF stated that poverty is usually not characterized by lack of material wealth and resources but the lack of access to basic human needs (Gilbert, 2004). Poor people have few choices regarding the forces that affect their lives. This challenge can be overcome through education. Education has the power to teach individuals how to realize their potential in order to make useful contributions towards wealth creation and poverty eradication (Maconick, 2002).
Provision of universal social services
Poor people have limited access to social amenities such as health services, clean water, and proper sanitation (Whitman, 2008). Governments should create programs to help communities build medical facilities, train health workers, and educate people on proper health practices. Lack of access to health services and clean water results in the proliferation of diseases and low-quality lifestyles (Whitman, 2008).
Diseases increase the degree of poverty because poor families spend the little money they earn paying for health services that are usually very expensive. Another critical aspect of poverty eradication is improvement of the health and welfare of children. Mortality rate among children is very high because of lack of access to proper health services. Overpopulation is another cause of poverty because poor families do not have access to birth control means (Maconick, 2002). Family planning education is important for poor people in order to enable them manage resources effectively (Whitman, 2008). Lack of proper sanitation and clean water are causes of high mortality rates in developing countries. High mortality rates results in
Eradication of corruption
Corruption has been cited as one of the causes of poverty especially in developing countries because it denies poor people access to government services and social amenities that eradicate poverty (Singh, 2005). In many countries, governments funds projects such as construction of clinics and schools, subsidy of agricultural raw materials, and community awareness. However, most of the money is laundered by leaders who use it for selfish purposes thus denying the poor access to government services. In order to end corruption in government agencies, it is important to involve citizens in decision-making processes, promoting accountability among leaders, and conducting budgetary allocations transparently (Whitman, 2008).
In other countries, people are required to offer bribes in order to get access to social amenities such as health and government services. Eradicating corruption can be achieved by enacting laws that punish culprits and promote accountability among leaders, as well as politicians.
Better governance
Implementing government policies is an effective strategy of eradicating poverty. Such changes could be made on tax and benefits systems, special employment measures, higher spending on education especially in poor regions, and adjusting the national minimum wage in order to raise the incomes of poor families (Singh, 2005). It is also important to evaluate the role played by politics in enhancing or alleviating poverty.
Politicians need to understand that poverty is promoted by lack of opportunities in the social and economic sectors. Therefore, they should advocate for better legislation that addresses poverty by increasing the percentage of national income that goes towards wages (Whitman, 2008). There is need for laws that lean towards even distribution of national resources. Poor people have limited access to resources and opportunities that are important in poverty eradication. Lack of education prevents poor people from accessing jobs and securing livelihoods to support their families (Singh, 2005). On the other hand, uneven distribution of wealth and resources results from unequal distribution of income wealth. Social amenities are more likely to be made available to rich people than to poor people.
Conclusion
Poverty is a global challenge that affects more than 3 billion people in both developed and developing countries. It is caused by social and economic inequalities that emanate from uneven distribution of resources and lack of access to various opportunities. There are several strategies that can be applied to eradicate poverty. They include provision of social amenities, education, eradication of corruption, improvement of governance, and people empowerment.
There is a direct correlation between economic prosperity and level of education. Increasing access to education empowers people by showing them how to tap their potential in ways that enhance wealth creation and poverty reduction. Diseases are a major cause of high mortality rate and poverty due to lack of access to health care services. Governments should create programs that enhance the provision of affordable health care services to poor people. Finally, better governance is critical in poverty eradication. It involves eradicating poverty and enacting laws that address poverty by improving allocation of resources and access to social amenities by poor people.
References
Gilbert, G. (2004). World Poverty: A Reference Handbook. New York, NY: ABC-CLIO. Web.
Maconick, R. (2002). Capacity-Building for Poverty Eradication: Analysis of, and Lessons from, Evaluations of UN System Support to Countries’ Efforts. New York: United Nations Publications. Web.
Singh, S. R. (2005). Poverty Alleviation in the Third World. New York, NY: APH Publishing. Web.
Whitman, S. (2008). World Poverty. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing. Web.