Abstract
Ill health is both a result of and cause of poverty – attaining good health is therefore an intrinsic objective that cannot be ignored in the pursuit of social and economic empowerment. The World Health Organization estimates that each year about 150 million people around the world suffer financial catastrophe from out-of-pocket expenditure on health services, while 100 million are pushed below the poverty line. Unless health issues are addressed, the impact promised by access to finance will be limited.