One day on my trip to Africa where I worked at a primary school, I looked into a girls' dark brown eyes while she asked me where my parents lived. I responded, “They live in the United States, where I am from,” the words “Where are your parents?” rolled off my tongue and I noticed from her instant change of body language that her response wasn’t going to be what I expected. With a sad tone, she responded, “They are dead.” After that moment my mindset shifted. I couldn’t grasp the reality that most children and adults in this country experience poverty and deaths like it is almost a norm in rural countries
An author from The World Bank factually stated “the poor cannot afford to purchase those things that are needed for good health, including sufficient quantities of quality food and health care. But, the relationship is also related to other factors related to poverty, such as lack of information on appropriate health-promoting practices or lack of voice needed to make social services work for them.” Poverty is without a doubt present around the world, including the United States. for some of the wealthier individuals, it isn’t much of a problem. In many areas like India, Africa and so on, they experience poverty like many others, but for them not having money can affect their overall health or even go to the extent of life or death.
Health is the very foundation to acquire a decent living where families have to feed their kids, grow food, breastfeed and so much more. As many people know, the healthcare system is a very complicated process and is hard to get a decent plan. It is very expensive to pay for and isn’t always an option for people that live in more rural areas. The United Nations stated “Worldwide, the poverty rate in rural areas is 17.2 per cent—more than three times higher than in urban areas. Having a job does not guarantee a decent living. In fact, 8 percent of employed workers and their families worldwide lived in extreme poverty in 2018. (para 1) (UN Goals)”
Poverty has also lead to low levels of education within the community. More information by The World Bank added context saying “but also of family members who may be obliged to stop working or attending school to take care of an ill relative. In addition, poor families coping with illness might be forced to sell assets to cover medical expenses, borrow at high-interest rates or become indebted to the community.” Success in the future usually starts from education before anything. Many organizations around the world work hard to increase child education rates for a better future. That may be effective, but on the other hand, getting to the root of the problem would possibly decrease poverty, education, and mortality rates as a whole. For Rawls Justice as Fairness, the most ideal and just way to approach this issue is to ensure equality. To uphold the liberty principle that everyone has an equal right to basic liberties. People living in poverty have the basic liberties to receive simple health assistance would be the justest way. Poverty has been an at large unjust issue that has been ongoing for years.
In rural countries, the healthcare system and leaders should consider ultimately helping their people and the community as a whole. Providing resources to communities on how to perform certain health techniques is proven to be effective. Although in some cases having those resources won’t help. To allow the poor to have a say in decisions and be able to have freedom of speech. All countries' poverty lines vary, by each countries poverty line we can determine what are the needs of the community.
Implementing clinics and health care buildings in rural areas for easy access is another step we can take, so people don’t have to find transportation along with money to get help. Clinics also increasing job opportunities and community participation, to learn new skills that could be useful will aid this epidemic. In terms of healthcare, it should be open to the community's voice and make it easier and affordable for people with not as much money to get what they need.