Poverty and social exclusion in the WHO European Region

Overview

Much about poverty is obvious enough, particularly the relationship between poverty and ill health. So evident are the links that extreme poverty is listed in the International Classification of Diseases. Far more controversial are the answers to the following questions: How is poverty caused? How can it be measured? How can it be tackled? What are the health status and access to health systems of people experiencing poverty and social exclusion, and how do they compare to people experiencing greater wellbeing and inclusion in society? What can health systems do to meet the needs of people in poverty and thus ensure the right to health for all? What can be done at cross-government levels (by the health sector together with others) to address poverty and social exclusion as determinants of health?