Poverty a conduit to poor health

ALMOST 6,000 people die prematurely in Ireland every year because of poverty and inequality, the Institute of Public Health director said yesterday.

Dr Jane Wilde said that the institute’s research had revealed a link between poverty and poor health that must be abolished.

“Inequality and poverty are unnecessary - they can be addressed through concentrated social and political action. Money must be put into primary health care and disadvantaged communities must get easily accessible health services,” said Dr Wilde.

“There is no point having an Anti-Poverty Strategy and National Health Strategy if the Government is not prepared to put money into them,” she said.

Combat Poverty believes that the best way to break the link between poverty and poor health is to give a medical card to everyone who genuinely needs one and to all children under 18.

“We are also calling for universal access to a comprehensive and adequately resourced primary health care service by 2007,” Combat Poverty director Helen Johnston said. Both Dr Wilde and Ms Johnston made their appeals for better healthcare for the poor at a conference entitled Building Healthy Communities in Dublin yesterday.

“Poorer people get sick more often and die younger than those who are better off,” Ms Johnston told the conference.

While she welcomed the introduction of the Primary Care Strategy, Ms Johnston said it needed to be given proper funding to operate effectively.

A recent Combat Poverty survey of 30 families living in poverty found that one third of their children had health problems which affected their school attendance. The survey also found that many of these parents suffered from poor health.

Responding to the call for more medical cards, a Department of Health spokesman said they are given out on the basis of means outlined in the 1970 Health Act. But the chief executives of health boards have the discretion to give out medical cards in special hardship cases.

There is a commitment in the National Health Strategy to give more low income people the medical card, but the Department did not say when the money would be provided.

Last year €8.4 million was provided for primary care and the Primary Care Strategy gives a commitment to strengthen the system, the Department spokesman added.