Podcast: Poverty drives health crisis in kasi households

Dr Velile Ngidi sheds light on the harsh reality of kasi households in South Africa. Poverty, limited access to healthcare, and a lack of necessities create a significant health burden. Early childhood is especially vulnerable, with malnutrition and inadequate sanitation posing serious risks

Imagine a vibrant community where socioeconomic factors such as education, inequality, and poverty significantly impact the health and well-being of residents. According to public health specialist Dr Velile Ngidi from KwaZulu-Natal, this is the lived experience of many kasi households in Mzansi.

“If we talk about socioeconomic factors in relation to health, this speaks to, as an individual, where I am born, where I am raised, where I work, where I live, the people around me, the cultures, and the norms that are created around where I live. So those are the social aspects that then shape my life,” she explains.

“When poverty is most harmful, it occurs in the first 1 000 days. So that is the most critical time within which poverty does its worst damage. When you’re talking about poverty first, it means they have no access to good nutrition. But also, they don’t have access to proper housing, proper sanitation, or clean drinking water generally.”

Ngidi notes that when people are poor, it’s often very difficult to lift themselves out of those types of situations, however, it becomes the responsibility of the government to support them through their departments.

“As much as healthcare is free in South African clinics, young people are not going, and there are different theories for reasons why they’re not going. Maybe there’s an access issue, and access doesn’t only mean being able to physically get there; it also means that the environment when you are there is conducive to you asking for help.

“My suggestion is that, at the household level, we should engage with structures that are meant to support them. It’s more for us to raise awareness so that we can participate in those structures that can support those families that are affected by poverty of that nature.”