[afro-nets] In preparation of People's Health Assembly II - part 37

[Claudio Schuftan <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

In preparation of People's Health Assembly II - part 37
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ON POVERTY (4) [final]

22. Poverty is not only a state of existence, but also a proc-
ess; it can be chronic or transient; it can trap future genera-
tions.

23. To be pro-poor, economic growth has to reduce income ine-
quality.

24. Rural poverty accounts for nearly 63% of poverty worldwide,
reaching 90% in China and Bangladesh and 65-90% in Sub-Saharan
Africa. In Latin-America, poverty is concentrated in urban ar-
eas. Rural women tend to suffer far more than rural men.

25. Much of the urban poverty is caused by the rural poor moving
to the cities.

26. Most of the poor depend on private transfers among house-
holds, extended families and other kinship groups. The rural
poor increasingly depend on wage labor; a flexible public works
program can thus help to smooth household consumption.

27. Unfair laws or poor enforcement of existing laws worsen the
plight of the poor. In this respect, the rights to land and wa-
ter are of key importance in reducing rural poverty.

--
Claudio Schuftan
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
mailto:claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn