ABSTRACT
Many studies show that there is a link between ill-health and poverty. According to the Human Development Report 1992 (UNDP, 1992) 1.2 billion people live in absolute poverty, 2.3 billion lack access to sanitation and over a hundred million people were affected by famine in 1990. Fourteen million children die every year before they reach the age of five; many of them of preventable conditions, including gastroenteritis, acute respiratory infections, measles and tetanus. Nevertheless, there have been some improvements. The average life expectancy in developing countries is now 63 years-17 years more than in 1960. In 26 developing countries, it is above 70 years. Access to safe water has increased in the past 20 years by more than two-thirds and average daily calorie supply is now about 110 per cent of the overall requirement, compared with 90 per cent some 25 years ago. The male/female disparity in primary education has decreased by half in the past 20 to 30 years, and in literacy by one-third in the past 20 years, although on average females receive only half the higher education of males. In the case of industrial countries, average life expectancy is 75 years and there is an average of one doctor for every 460 people. Overall, nearly three-quarters of health bills are paid by public insurance.
