Health
Health is an important form of human capital, and illness can be a major stressor and financial burden in terms of treatment and lost productivity.
Health intersects with resilience and sustained poverty escapes in at least three ways.
- Health problems can be a shock that reduces well-being temporarily or with longer term impoverishing effects.
- Health is also an important form of human capital that can act as a resilience capacity to protect individuals, households, and communities in the face of adversity.
- Finally, health outcomes are in and of themselves development outcomes that need to be sustained in the face of shocks and stresses.
Households can often cope with one illness, but a series of illnesses can be a major stressor because of the sick individual’s inability to work, and through the financial burden of treatment. Medical care can be costly, and in places with limited healthcare facilities, may require significant travel, increasing the cost. Households may resort to negative coping strategies such as selling assets and taking out loans from informal moneylenders to cover these costs. Addressing these challenges requires a system-wide approach that improves the coverage and quality of health services, expands the number of facilities and doctors, and supports universal health insurance.
Featured Resources
Resource
This study finds not only that the burden of ill health in North Kivu is much higher than previously thought, but also that the impact of...
Resource
Health intersects with resilience and sustained poverty escapes in at least three ways. Poor health reduces well-being and can be a shock or...
More Resources
-
Resource
This report presents a strategic approach that can guide USAID missions in addressing health system stressors and shocks, while supporting countries on the journey toward self-reliant, prepared, and resilient health systems. The authors present tangible actions that missions can take in applying...
Health -
Event
COVID-19’s worldwide sweep has underscored that recovering from the impacts of COVID-19 isn’t enough. As USAID and other donors assess COVID-19’s implications for future shocks, it is urgent that programs strive to build resilient systems and institutions where we work. How do we know if our...
HealthShock Responsive Programs -
Resource
This study finds not only that the burden of ill health in North Kivu is much higher than previously thought, but also that the impact of free health care is less than might be expected
Health -
Resource
This article examines the community response to Cyclone Haruna in Madagascar, and how this response was strengthened by a community-level population, health, and environment program in the affected regions.
Climate Change AdaptationHealthEvidence and AnalysisSocial CapitalEcosystems and Natural Resource ManagementMadagascar -
Resource
Building resilience requires a long-term commitment and an integrated approach to strengthen the capacities of individuals, households, and communities to respond to, recover from, and prevent (where possible) shocks and stresses.
This report synthesizes the experiences of two programs...
Collaboration and Collective ImpactHealthNutritionNepal -
Resource
Health intersects with resilience and sustained poverty escapes in at least three ways. Poor health reduces well-being and can be a shock or stressor at the individual, household, community or systems level. It can also act as an important form of human capital, a resilience capacity that...
Sustainable Poverty EscapesHealthTanzaniaNigerMalawiEthiopiaUgandaKenyaPhilippinesNepalCambodiaBangladesh -
Resource
This synthesis paper reviews 20 years of research and focuses on the increasing socioeconomic differentiation in selected pastoralist areas, and the implications in terms of pathways to resilience.
HealthEducationDiversify Livelihood RisksSocial CapitalGender EquitySouth SudanKenyaEthiopiaUgandaSomalia