Abstract
In the global context, the health and quality of life of people are adversely affected by either one or more types of chronic diseases. The chronic pain associated with diagnosed patients may include heavy medical expenditure along with the physical and mental suffering they undergo. Usually, unbearable amounts of medical expenses are incurred, to improve or sustain the health condition of the patient. Consequently, the heavy financial burden tends to push households from a comfortable or secure life, or even from bad to worse, towards the probability of becoming poor. Hence, this study is conducted to identify the impact chronic illnesses have on poverty using data from a national survey referred as the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), with data gathered by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) of Sri Lanka in 2016. As such, this study is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, declaring the originality of the study based on data collected from the local arena. Accordingly, the study discovered that married females who do not engage in any type of economic activity, in the age category of 40-65, having an educational level of tertiary level or below and living in the urban sector have a higher likelihood of suffering from chronic diseases. Moreover, it was inferred that, if a person is deprived from access to basic education in the level of education, lives in the rural or estate sector, or suffers from a brain disease, cancer, heart disease or kidney disease, he is highly likely to be poor. Some insights concluded from this Sri Lankan case study can also be applied in the context of other developing countries, to minimise chronic illnesses and thereby the probability of falling into poverty.
Highlights
Chronic diseases can be broadly defined as conditions that last for a year or more and require on-going medical attention that limits activities of daily living [1]
According to the health goal ‘SDG 3’ in line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) profile of Sri Lanka issued stipulated by the WHO South East Asian Region in 2017, currently the likelihood to die from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) before the age of 70 is 17.7%
Results are estimated based on probit model to achieve the prime research objective, i.e. the impact of various chronic illnesses towards the occurrence of poverty in Sri Lanka
Summary
Chronic diseases can be broadly defined as conditions that last for a year or more and require on-going medical attention that limits activities of daily living [1]. A chronic condition can arouse the risk of pushing households towards poverty People suffering from these diseases end up making choices that are challenging or rather contradictory; either they have to ignore the condition they are in, avoid medical treatment, and face premature death by investing their earnings in satisfying their key needs and wants, or to seek health care treatment by processing with out-of-pocket expenditures, drag their families to the ill effects of poverty. This burden is severe when people suffer from multiple chronic conditions and disabilities which require supplementary health care services and attention frequently, to prevent the condition from becoming critical. This study focusses to contribute to the above-mentioned empirical gap by examining the growing toll of chronic diseases and its relevance to poverty, with specific attention to Sri Lanka
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