3 billion people in the world live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than a $1. These people have little or no access to health services and education, and limited prospects for a better life. Persons of low socioeconomic status tend to have poorer health. (Bruder) A commitment to health would imply a commitment to reducing poverty. Most of the illnesses associated with poverty are infectious diseases, such as diarrheal illness, malaria, and tuberculosis. All of them are associated with the lack of income, clean water and sanitation, food, and access to medical services and education which characterize poor countries and communities. There is in fact a two way relationship between poverty and ill health, with disease often further impoverishing the poor. Illness prevents people from working, or affects their productivity, lowering their income. The costs of obtaining health care can also be substantial, both in terms of time off from work and in terms of money spent on services. Unfortunately, as low-income individuals encounter poor working conditions that lead to sickness, they are unable to receive adequate treatment because of the lack of health insurance. This unsettling thought can be seen in Nickel and Dimed as, " fiftyish Lucy limps toward the end of the shift because of something that has gone wrong with her leg, the exact nature of which cannot be determined without health insurance." (Ehrenreich 36) The low federal minimum wage and the increase in housing costs are most definitely a direct contribution to the health problems facing children and adults living in impoverished conditions. .
Many people in America may earn slightly more than the federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour, but as proved in Nickel and Dimed, such amount is impossible to adequately support oneself. Minimum wage does not necessarily represent a living wage. A living wage is one that covers the basics, such as food, shelter and transportation.
