VCU's Steven Woolf, professor of family medicine, told the United Press International that the percentage of Americans living in severe poverty grew 20% from 2000 to 2004
Virginia Commonwealth University's professor of family medicine and distinguished author, Steven Woolf, told the United Press International that, except for a small minority of affluent Americans, the percentage of Americans living in severe poverty grew 20% from the year 2000 to 2004. In 2004 the poverty line for a family of four was only $19,307. In the year 1999 the poverty line barely reached $17,000.
Unlike most statistics dealing with poverty, these numbers are not just affecting the poor, however, this is an American problem. Woolf says, "In general Americans are worse off."
Sadly, children are being especially affected by this growing national problem. According to Woolf's study, one in three of the individuals living in poverty were children, and those under the age of five are twice as likely to be living in these severe conditions than the rest of the population. As is the case with several health and poverty concerns, minority children are at an even greater risk. The study reported that almost half of Hispanic and African Americans living in severe poverty were children.
This study primarily focused on the decline in health that comes with living in severe poverty-stricken environments. "The severely poor," Woolf said, "are less likely to have good jobs that come with health insurance, and they have less income available to pay for healthcare out of pocket."
As a result of living in these pitiful conditions, the poor are much more susceptible to chronic conditions, or severe health problems that happen when needed care gets put off. Unfortunately, it then becomes a cycle; you don't get the attention you need when you become ill initially, and then your health continues to decline until your body is in desperate need of immediate care and the financial cost is far greater than what you can afford. It is just not a good situation, and it is increasingly growing in this nation.
Alan Jenkins, executive director of the Opportunity Agenda, a non-profit social justice group, told UPI, "The trend of increased poverty is affecting the opportunities available to Americans in a variety of areas including healthcare, housing, and education. As people who are working are getting poorer and poorer, they can't afford access".
Jenkins suggests that the best solution to this growing problem is a universal healthcare system. "It's an achievable goal," he said, "and the benefits will be vast and extend throughout our entire society".
