WILLEMSTAD – Poverty is not only a social and economic problem but also a major factor contributing to poor health. At the same time, illness, disability, and rising healthcare expenses can push individuals and families deeper into financial hardship. This vicious cycle will be at the center of a two-day conference in Curaçao, where medical specialists, researchers, and policymakers will examine how poverty affects public health and what can be done to break the cycle.
The conference, titled "Poverty and Health: A Societal Introspection Urgency," will take place on Friday, November 13, and Saturday, November 14, at the Courtyard by Marriott in Curaçao.
Professor Ashley Duits, the initiator of the event, wants to bring greater attention to the relationship between poverty and health and ensure that the issue receives a more prominent place on the island's political and social agenda.
According to Duits, poverty is still too often treated as an individual problem rather than a broader societal challenge with serious consequences for public health.
People living with limited financial resources generally face greater difficulties maintaining a healthy lifestyle, obtaining appropriate medical treatment, and living in conditions that support their physical and mental well-being.
Financial hardship can affect the quality of food families can afford, their housing conditions, and their ability to access medical services when needed.
The relationship also works in the opposite direction. When someone becomes seriously ill, loses the ability to work, or faces substantial medical expenses, an already vulnerable household can experience further financial deterioration.
This creates a cycle in which poverty contributes to illness, while illness increases the risk of poverty.
The conference will examine these connections from several medical perspectives, with particular attention to children, older residents, and people experiencing mental health difficulties.
Pediatric healthcare specialist Thathianah Rodriguez will discuss how poverty affects children and adolescents.
Financial insecurity during childhood can influence physical development, emotional well-being, and access to opportunities that support a healthy future.
Clinical geriatrician Judella Daal will address the challenges faced by older residents, a population that may be particularly vulnerable when limited income is combined with increasing healthcare needs.
Mental healthcare will also feature in the discussions, reflecting concerns about the relationship between financial insecurity, psychological stress, and access to appropriate treatment.
The organizers want to shift attention beyond the treatment of individual illnesses toward the social circumstances in which health problems develop.
These circumstances include income security, housing, neighborhood conditions, and the accessibility of healthcare services.
The central question is whether some health problems could be prevented by addressing the economic and social conditions that contribute to them before medical intervention becomes necessary.
For Curaçao, the discussion is particularly relevant because healthcare policy and social welfare policy are often approached as separate responsibilities, even though financial insecurity and health problems can reinforce one another.
The conference will bring together professionals from different disciplines to examine how these issues can be addressed more effectively.
The organizers emphasize that reducing health inequalities requires cooperation extending beyond hospitals, clinics, and medical professionals.
Social services, education, economic policy, and healthcare must be better coordinated to address the underlying causes of poor health.
The conference is expected to encourage a broader discussion about whether Curaçao is investing sufficiently in preventing health problems associated with poverty rather than primarily addressing their consequences.
Its central message is that improving public health requires more than medical treatment. It also requires attention to the living conditions and financial circumstances that shape people's opportunities to remain healthy.