Poverty and health: A societal introspection urgency

The link between poverty and health is one of the most critical structural challenges of modern society, acting not as a series of isolated individual misfortunes, but as a compounding, cyclical systemic failure. This relationship demands an urgent societal introspection into how economic inequality directly dictates biological outcomes, life expectancy, and human dignity. The relationship between economic status and health is bi-directional, creating a self-reinforcing trap that is difficult to escape without systemic intervention. We will focus on the fact that poverty causes ill health but also that ill health causes poverty. We further venture into the structural drivers of health (including social determinants of health and access barriers)

Several speakers will address this important topic from different perspectives: youth care, elderly care, mental health care. Careful consideration of the relationship of poverty and healthcare is also on the agenda of important advisory and oversight (governmental) institutes like the Inspectorate of Health of Aruba and the Advisory Council of Curaçao, and both institutes will share their view. Finally, we will hear more of the ideas, views, and visions of the younger generation of skilled professionals active on the island on this critical topic. We will finalize with a critical assessment panel providing valuable take-home messages.

Societal introspection demands that we stop viewing health disparities as unfortunate side effects of a market economy, and instead recognize them as preventable injustices that require immediate, structural reform.

LEARNING GOALS

• Realizing the importance of (effectively) addressing poverty to ensure a just and effective health system.
• To accept that by solving the poverty issue we can guarantee a much better (public) health environment for our community and citizens.
• The reality of poverty in different population groups and the (local) challenges observed.
• How to better advocate for solving the ever growing poverty issue (in healthcare).
• Understanding the views on poverty of the future generations.

 TARGET AUDIENCE

• Health professionals
• Other professionals
• Policy makers
• General public

         Weerleggen van Grenzen 2026