- Published: September 17, 2022
- Updated: September 17, 2022
- University / College: Stanford University
- Level: Secondary School
- Language: English
- Downloads: 20
Poor economics summary: chapter 3 Chapter 3: Low-Hanging Fruit for Better (Global) Health? Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo’s “ PoorEconomics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty” is a book that questions the decision making of poor people. There is a hopeful view of addressing global issues. This book presents the twists related to development in the present century, and how the poor address their challenges.
Chapter 3, titled “ low-hanging fruit for better (global) health?” explores a theory on how to minimize poverty in the global scene. Health care is seen as a central theme in arresting poverty levels (Banerjee and Duflo, 2011). Lack of resources and access to medication is a leading factor in the demise of children and adults alike in countries that are less developed. This is in spite of the availability of vaccination and medications.
However, it is noted that money is the issue. There is limited availability of funds to facilitate the treatment of some diseases that can be easily controlled. Since they are unable to prevent diseases, they become less productive. In consequence, they are unable to work and move out of the poverty that affects their livelihood.
Several examples of success and failure are given in equal measure. Banerjee and Duflo convince the readers that there are simpler solutions to poverty, rather than just relying on global help such as financial aid. Improving health provides a chance to increase productivity and stop the stagnant development that characterizes such areas (Banerjee and Duflo, 2011).
The chapters in the book bring a deeper intuition on development. Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo convincingly presents to the reader the traps that the 21st century poor generations indulge into with the assumption that they are helping themselves. The experiences of the poor, and the experiments they partake have been explained in a way that warns others on what to avoid. Chapter 3 focusses on health as a leading factor in the quest to eradicate poverty.
References
Banerjee, A. and Duflo, E. (2011). Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight
Global Poverty. New York: PublicAffairs.