Health Poverty Action was founded in 1984 and their mission is to help improve poor health worldwide. They reach out to neglected, hardest-to-reach places such as those in Africa, Asia, Latin America in order to help bolster and strengthen their health services and work on things like nutrition, water, sanitation, income generation and immunisation.

The charity passionately believes that everyone has a right to proper healthcare regardless of where they were born and their economic circumstance. The charity considers poverty is a man-made phenomenon - just as wealth is created by man, poverty is also created by man. Causes of poverty are complex, but the charity firmly believes that because it’s a man-made problem, it’s solvable. Part of the battle for the charity is reprogramming people to prioritise their fellow humans over profit.

Health Poverty Action’s vital work

The charity invests donations into human capital by training people in healthcare all over the world. Furthermore they also invest into vital tools to either help spread the healthcare message, as well as transporting healthcare professionals in emergencies. In fact 95% of the charity staff are from the countries where they work. For example…

Gulshan in Chhattisgarh, India - Asia

In many areas in Asia and around the world, illiteracy is a big problem. It stops people from getting jobs and working their way out of poverty. In Gulshan’s case, only 51% of her village can read and write. She has been lucky enough to attend both high school and college, so she has a depth of knowledge of government services that the community is entitled to and most importantly knows how to access them.

Gulshan works in a local information centre, spending two days a week in the centre, and the rest on the road visiting villages and helping people fill in application forms and educating them on nutrition, hygiene and childcare.

Read more of Gulshan’s story on their website.

Adela in Totonicapan, Guatemala - Central America

Adela is a Traditional Birth Attendant, and has been delivering babies for 40 years to the indigenous people in their villages. A TBA is a midwife that doesn’t work for or at a hospital. Her stories about her experience in the field shows the dangers that many women face when giving birth.

Adela explains “Indigenous women are three times more likely to die in childbirth than others" in the same country. Health Poverty Action, along with the Ministry of Health and local health centres, has been training Adela and others like her, due to the fact that these women typically have no training, which can ultimately lead to fatalities. The training Adela has received has ultimately given her the ability to confidently spot danger signs and make contact with the local doctor if need be.

Read more of Adela’s story on the HPA website

How donations can help

£5 could ensure ongoing training to farmers in Zimbabwe on sustainable agriculture.

£10 could help run a weekly radio show about maternal health, which allows women in the remote areas of Namibia to receive health education that they need to keep themselves healthy and safe.

£15 can fuel an ambulance transporting women to the hospital from remote parts of Ethiopia, Kanye and Somalia.

Other ways to get involved

Who knew you could mix great food and giving back to charity? Health Poverty Action’s Curry for Change campaign helps change lives. All you need to do is visit their site to sign up, you’ll then receive your free events pack and spices. Next comes the cooking bit, and inviting your friends and family over for a scrumptious meal. Ask your mates to donate what they usually would when spending on a takeaway. Oh, and you can also find their recipes here too.

Address

Ground Floor, 31-33 Bondway
London
SW8 1SJ

Contact Number

020 7840 3753