From Poverty to Dignity: Building Health through Social Protection

Universal social protection is key to ending poverty and achieving global health equity.

[This text was written jointly by Megan Naidoo, a PhD candidate at the University of Barcelona, Elisa Landín Basterra, predoctoral fellow at ISGlobal. Gabriela Santos Jesus, PhD student at the Federal University of Bahia, and Davide Rasella, ICREA Research Professor and head of the Health Impact Assessment and Evaluation Group at ISGlobal.]

For millions of people around the world, an illness can mean choosing between medicine and food — a stark reminder that poverty is a fight for survival. The United Nations’ first Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 1) is to end extreme poverty in all its forms everywhere by 2030. Yet, with only five years left, the world remains far from achieving this goal. Exacerbated by global conflict, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly one in ten people still live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $3 per day. But poverty is not just about income — it is a struggle for dignity and health.

Poverty as a Determinant of Health

Poverty is one of the most powerful social determinants of health. It limits access to nutritious food, clean water, quality healthcare, and safe housing — the foundations of wellbeing. The consequences are higher rates of infectious and chronic diseases, premature mortality, and mental stress among the most vulnerable communities. Poverty determines who falls ill, who gets care, and who recovers, a reflection of an unjust world where health is a privilege rather than a right.

Universal Social Protection: A Path to Health Equity

Universal social protection is central to achieving SDG 1. These policies ensure that everyone can access income support and essential resources such as housing, food, healthcare, and education, helping to reduce systemic social and economic exclusion. Recognising its importance, one of the targets for SDG 1 is to implement universal social protection systems for all.

Poverty determines who falls ill, who gets care, and who recovers, a reflection of an unjust world where health is a privilege rather than a right

Evidence from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) shows that social protection programs improve health outcomes and protect against catastrophic health expenditures. For instance, Community-Based Health Insurance, where communities pool resources to cover healthcare costs, has significantly reduced out-of-pocket expenses and increased healthcare utilisation in LMICs.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide implemented over 1,600 emergency social protection measures, reaching nearly two billion people in LMICs. Yet many of these measures were later scaled back, eroding gains. With almost half the global population still unprotected, renewed commitment to universal, shock-responsive systems is essential.

Lessons from Brazil’s Bolsa Família

Cash transfer programs are a type of social protection that provide income support. Brazil’s Bolsa Família, one of the largest conditional cash transfer programs globally, provides financial aid to help ensure children attend school and families use preventative health services. The program has consistently improved economic, health, and educational outcomes, especially among the most marginalized communities. The program significantly decreased malnutrition, infant mortality, and HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis incidence and mortality. Overall, Bolsa Família prevented an estimated 8.2 million hospitalizations and 710,000 deaths from 2000- 2019, with particularly strong benefits among children and older adults. Projections suggest that expanding coverage could prevent an additional 680,000 deaths and eight million hospital admissions by 2030.

Social protection systems are among the most powerful tools to end poverty

Dignity for Everyone, Everywhere

Eradicating poverty ensures that all individuals have the chance to live with dignity. Social protection systems are among the most powerful tools to end poverty. Inclusive social policies can change lives, improve health, and strengthen community resilience. We must move beyond temporary measures and invest in long-term, equitable systems that protect everyone, everywhere. Ending poverty is not only achievable — it is essential for a healthy, fair, and just world.