Problems And Challenges Of Poverty - 1595 Words

PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES OF POVERTY IN SASKATCHEWAN Literally, poverty is a condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being poor1. It is a multi-faceted issue that include problems regarding income, cost-of-living, health and social cohesion1. Poverty affects multiple group of persons in the society and no one is immune to its consequences. Overtime, there has been a strong association between poverty and many health conditions such as chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease), injuries, stress, anxiety, depression, and untimely deaths2. In Saskatchewan, poverty still remains a menace despite the provincial economic growth over the years. This improvement in the economy of the province has not been†¦show more content†¦The poverty rate among single mothers was 36.8% in 20106 while people with disabilities faces 53% higher unemployment rates than people without disabilities7. Poverty cost the government of Saskatchewan $3.8 billion in heightened service use and missed opportunities in 20108. It also resulted in more spending on the criminal justice system. This spending was increased by $50 to $120 million a year compared to the previous year9. Poverty in Saskatchewan is a socio-economic problem resulting from sustained low levels of income for vulnerable residents of the province and lack of access to services like safe and affordable housing, education and health care. PUBLIC HEALTH CONCEPTS UNDERLYING POVERTY IN SASKATCHEWAN There are various public health concepts underlying poverty in Saskatchewan and they include inequality, social exclusion, education, unemployment and income income distribution. All these concepts work together to reduce opportunities, limit choices, undermine hope, and, as a result, threaten health2. Poverty and inequality are two separate entities, however inequality can feed widespread poverty by hindering vulnerable individuals with lower socio-economic status from accessing the tools and resources needed to support themselves in the society. Since 2000, there has been an increasing huge income disparity in Saskatchewan hence, resulting in a wide gap between the richest and poorest families3. Poor education especially in northern Saskatchewan often