The Social Welfare Officer for the Department of Social Welfare was invited to have a discussion on social determinants of poverty and how it can affect your health. The discussion was in two folds with two personnel to go through the discussion on Dynamite FM – 88.9FM.
The Social Welfare Officer, Mr. Piesie Anto Agyapong looked at the social determinants of poverty while Dr. Darko, a doctor at the Tarkwa Municipal Government Hospital delved into a person’s health as a result of poverty.
Mr. Piesie A. Agyapong mentioned that among the social determinant of poverty included material deprivation (food, shelter, sanitation and safe drinking water), social exclusion – denial of resources , rights, goods and services and the inability to participate in normal relationship and activities, lack of education, unemployment, low income.
He took time to explain on-air with examples and added that all these work together to reduce opportunities, limit choices, undermine hope and as a result threaten the health of persons caught up in this web. He added that poverty and poor health are inextricably linked.
Inequality has a huge impact on health. People in more equal society’s live longer, rate their health as better and are less likely to watch their children die in infancy.
The officer used the opportunity to educate viewers on government policies that prioritise health and social wellbeing to improve people’s lives and health. Among the programs include Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty – LEAP, Free Senior High School education, Rural electrification, Planting for Food and Jobs, Alternative livelihood for illegal miners, School Feeding, Productive Inclusion among others.
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The social welfare officer with Dr. Darko educating the public on poverty and health on Dynamite FM 88.9 | The Social Welfare Officer, Mr. Piesie A. Agyapong explaining on-air the social determinants of poverty. |