Greetings Folks, today, we are looking at the 2nd broad category of the social determinants of health called ECONOMIC STABILITY: which links a person’s finances to their health.

Economic stability means that people have the resources essential to a healthy life. There are many factors affecting economic stability including affordable housing; employment that provides a living wage; things that support employment, like worker protections, paid sick leave, and child care; and access to reliable transportation. People experiencing economic instability are more likely to experience health risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and premature mortality.

Economic stability is vital to affording lifestyle choices and paying for quality medical care that keeps people healthy. poverty, employment, food security and housing stability are all key determinants of economic stability.

With our growing population of 5.2 million people, the WORLD BANK report to address poverty in Liberia launched on March 26, 2024 , highlights that while 3 out of 10 people in Monrovia are living in poverty, the situation is significantly worse in rural areas, where 8 out of 10 individuals are affected by poverty . This stark disparity between urban and rural areas poses a significant challenge to poverty reduction efforts in Liberia.
The report describes Liberia as one of the world’s poorest countries, having experienced a volatile growth trajectory marked by challenges of fragility. Despite possessing significant natural resources such as gold, iron ore, and plenty of land, Liberia’s economic performance has been unstable, largely hindered by conflict and reliant on exports of primary commodities. This resource-driven growth model has failed to generate sufficient employment opportunities for Liberians or foster broad-based growth and development, further exacerbating the country’s poverty and economic challenges.

The report finds that nearly 6 out of every 10 Liberians live in poverty based on the national poverty line. And in the context of multiple crises, the plight of the poor has worsened, and the number of people in poverty has increased. Roughly 1,000,000 Liberians live in extreme poverty and 2.5 million in absolute poverty,” said Ms. Georgia Wallen, World Bank Country Manager.

With this report from the World Bank and the significant natural resources that we possess as a country, there is a greater need then ever for political stability in the country, increased access to basic things like clean water and sanitation, electricity, public- private partnerships, fair justice, the rule of Law, a safe environment for investment opportunities, expansion of the private sector to provide better employment opportunities for Liberians.

We know as a country, we have gone a lot , but its not late, the 3 branches of government can still establish policies and make some hard decisions in the interest of the citizenry, including the some of the things mentioned above and LIBERIA can be what God wants her to be.

From Your Friend: DR. AUGUSTINE NYANKUN JLASNOTI FANNIEH