The World Bank and the UN Promote Programs to Lift People Out of Poverty

Economics & Global Health Economically deprived nations are places where poverty is widespread, and poverty almost always leads to some form of hunger; facts show that people who do not have enough nutrients become ill. This is the deadly cycle that many developing countries face. "Poverty is the principal cause of hunger," according to the UN's Education Service; and the principal underlying cause of " .. poverty and hunger" is poorly administered economic and political systems.

Control over those systems is often based on "military, political, and economic power that typically ends up in the hands of a minority"; those in power often live quite well while those at the bottom of the ladder " .. barely survive" (worldhunger.org). This paper delves into the problem of poor economics, poverty, and global health issues.

Hunger: The United Nations / World Bank Programs The United Nations and the World Bank have programs to help the economic situation in third world countries, and hence, the economic lift is most cases is designed to reduce poverty and in the process bring better health to the poor and the extreme poor. As to the issue of hunger, which leads to serious health issues, the UN estimates that ".. about 795 million people of the 7.3 billion people in the world, or one in nine, were suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2014" (worldhunger.org).

The most serious hunger can be found in the sub-Saharan region, where more than one in four people are undernourished. When it comes to the health of children and undernourishment, it is estimated that 3.1 million child deaths annually can be attributed to health issues, including: a) fetal growth restriction; b) stunting (161 million children under five were stunted in 2013); c) wasting (17 million children under five were wasted in 2013); d) malaria; e) pneumonia; f) measles; and g) "deficiencies of vitamin A and zinc" (worldhunger.org).

Meanwhile the World Bank has ongoing programs to help the economic situations in poor developing nations. Noting that in 2010, about 21% of people in the developing world lived at or below $1.25 per day, the World Bank point out that in 1990 the percentage of people living on $1.25 a day was 43%, and in 1981, 52% of those in developing countries lived on $1.25 (or less) a day. So those statistics show great progress, and the World Bank claims that the progress was made due to its infusion of cash into those countries.

The World Bank's Initiative The World Bank believes -- along with the United Nations and other international organizations fighting poverty and hunger -- that among other things, " .. investing in agriculture" and "creating jobs" can promote better health for people in developing nations. Food security is at the top of the list of needs for poor nations, and the World Bank's initiative involves " .. boosting agricultural financing to $8-10 billion a year" which will aid developing countries when it comes to " .. productivity and resilience to climate change" (World Bank, 2015).

"A meaningful path out of poverty requires a strong economy that produces jobs and good wages," the World Bank explains on its web pages. Governments that are economically sound can and should build schools, hospitals and should also assure that children are well-nourished, the World Bank points out. Well-nourished children have a far better chance.