EuroHealthNet provides input for upcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy
On average, more than one-fifth of the EU population lives at risk of poverty or social exclusion. In the case of children, almost one in four children suffers from poverty or social exclusion, which calls for actions to break the cycle of disadvantage for future generations. Poverty is more likely to affect people who are in vulnerable situations, like being unemployed or working at precarious jobs, being low-skilled, persons with disabilities, belonging to migrant and ethnic minority communities and being homeless. In addition, living in large families with many children and in single-parent families increases the risk of poverty.
The European Commission has launched the process to seek views on the upcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, the first of its kind at the EU level. The strategy will aim to provide essential protection to people and tackle the root causes of poverty.
Responding to the consultation, EuroHealthNet emphasised that the causes of poverty extend beyond personal, economic, and employment circumstances, including poor physical and mental health and the health inequalities stemming from socioeconomic status. Poor health leads to a higher rate of economic inactivity, labour market exclusion, involuntary early retirement, and increased dependency on welfare benefits such as sickness and disability. Therefore, addressing poverty requires addressing the causes of poor health and health inequalities.
EuroHealthNet called for action to eradicate in-work poverty, improve job quality, protect mental health, make social and health service work together, adapt employment for people with poor health and disability, and prevent disease. The strategy must take a whole-of-government approach, involving public health and health promotion agencies, universities, and the research community for the collection of evidence and evaluation of policies. Since poor health often leads to unemployment, health promotion and disease prevention must be given the same prominence as skills development policies.
