Background knowledge

Poverty can make people ill, but the opposite is also true: illness can cause poverty. There is a range of reasons for poverty and social disadvantage. However, the effects on health are undisputed.

Good to know

• Illness can lead to unemployment and make it difficult to find a new job. There is a huge risk that those affected will become dependent on social assistance.
• Bad working or living conditions, debt and long-term unemployment jeopardize an individual's mental and physical well-being.
• Children from underprivileged families often have worse development outcomes. Preschool care and support services considerably increase equal opportunity when the children start school.
• But poverty and social disadvantage often go hand in hand with a lower level of health literacy, meaning that individuals are unable to take the right decisions in their everyday lives to have a positive impact on their health. The easy-to-understand health information on migesplus in up to 56 different languages promotes health literacy.

People in disadvantaged population groups have a higher risk of facing discrimination. This can have serious consequences in the healthcare system. For example, language barriers can make access to healthcare difficult. The right information can help reveal discrimination and prevent disadvantage.

Migrants and asylum-seekers find it difficult to access the healthcare system. It is important for these people to have the right information about what rules to follow.