The Challenge

Poverty is intrinsically connected with poor health. Poverty not only increases the prevalence of poor health, but also traps individuals and communities into a cycle of poverty.  The lack of education and health resources intensifies the challenges facing many individuals and families. Therefore, economically disadvantaged individuals are the most vulnerable to ill health. Those with limited access to health services face putting their well-being and that of their families at risk.

Poor health may prevent low-income children from attending school and a child’s ability to exceed academically can be directly influenced by health.  Poor health conditions may lead have long-term implications for opportunities in life. The poverty factor represents a negative impact on the well-being of the child thus impeding the academic productivity of the individual.

Even though eye health is an important factor in a child’s ability to learn, comprehensive vision screenings and eye health exams are almost always absent in the lives of underprivileged children. Early corrective intervention and proper eye care can strengthen academic success and increase participation in extracurricular activities. 

Limited access to required early childhood medical screenings may result in long-term health issue that often go undetected.  Serious health issues affect school attendance and academic achievement.

The Opportunity

Early medical intervention has a direct impact on a child’s development and cognitive abilities which affect the ability to attend school and to achieve academic goals. Therefore, access to preventive and proactive health programs targeting a variety of issues can be  linked to improved health outcomes for low-income children. Early intervention combined with parental education programs concerning health care are highly beneficial in increasing the a child’s  potential for development.