A society with no poverty would be healthier, happier and easier to live in — and would save us all money in the end
As a family doctor who works largely with people living on low incomes, poverty is at the root of many of the illnesses I treat.
As a family doctor who works largely with people living on low incomes, poverty is at the root of many of the illnesses I treat.
Most Canadians would like to see an end to poverty. What if we told you that one organization, using the existing social benefits system, found a way to get $21 million into the pockets of 9,000 low income individuals in Winnipeg?
Can a question asked in a doctor’s office contribute to ending poverty for patients and their families? This is what we asked ourselves 10 years ago, as we set out to convince health providers to tackle poverty.
A Toronto doctor named Gary Bloch has developed a poverty tool for medical practitioners. It helps assess what patients might need other than prescriptions for the newest drugs; it zooms in on the social determinants of health — food, housing, transportation — all poverty markers linked to bad health and poor health outcomes.