Health Poverty Action

Health Poverty Action works to strengthen poor and marginalised people in their struggle for health. We prioritise working with those missed out by almost everyone else.

Our approach

We believe our approach to health is distinctive in two ways:

• Firstly, we focus passionately on the most poor and the most marginalised.
• Secondly, we believe in a comprehensive approach. We don’t just improve health services, but also focus on other factors that impact on health such as water, sanitation and nutrition.

The link with poverty

We have built up long-term relationships and trust with many of the poorest and most marginalised communities. They may be on the edge of society because of ethnicity or culture, gender, geography, politics, economics – or any combination of these.

For these people every day is a fight for life and health, against all the odds – and we are on their side, fighting with them.

They never let us forget that a commitment to improving health requires a commitment to ending poverty. The two are inseparable.

Poor health and poverty are each a key cause and consequence of the other. By addressing both at the same time we can improve one by improving the other.

A human right

Health Poverty Action recognises health as a fundamental human right, not simply a medical challenge.

The world’s poorest also have this right – they should be aware of it and able to insist it is recognised. They need a voice, and we help them raise it.

The communities Health Poverty Action works with seem to come near the bottom of everyone else’s list – we put them at the top of ours.