Monica Pinilla-Roncancio

Approximately 16 per cent of the global population lives with a disability. Although there are no definitive figures, it is certain that a higher proportion of people with disabilities are poor compared with people who are living without disabilities. In the case of monetary poverty, evidence for their levels of poverty is not conclusive; however, it is well known that people with disabilities face direct and indirect costs associated with their condition, and therefore their levels of income and consumption are lower in comparison with those of persons without disabilities; but in some cases, monetary poverty lines do not capture those differences. This study aims to analyse the levels of poverty of people with disabilities after computing an equivalence scale to capture the needs of people with disabilities and their families. To achieve this objective, we used the Income and Expenditures Survey 2022 (ENAHO-2022) from Peru. We first tested whether the current poverty line in Peru captures the needs of people with disabilities. Then we analysed the consumption patterns of households with and without members with disabilities. Finally, we proposed to adapt the national poverty line for Peru using an equivalence scale that captures the extra costs of living with a disability in Peru. Using this equivalence scale, we recalculated the poverty rate for households with disabilities. The results revealed that the presence of a member with a disability in the household reduces household income and consumption. The estimation of the equivalence scale showed that a household of one member was equivalent to a household with two members without disabilities. When recalculating the incidence of poverty, the percentage of households with disabilities living in poverty increased from 35% to 50% or 760,000 people with disabilities and their families became poor.

Approximately 16 per cent of the global population lives with a disability, and an important proportion resides in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and present higher levels of poverty. Guatemala, classified as a middle-income country, is among the poorest nations in Latin America. It faces the challenges of climate change, including extreme weather events, which may disproportionately affect people with disabilities. This article examines the levels of resilience among households with and without members with disabilities in Guatemala. Using data from the 2018 National Population and Household Census, we constructed a resilience index and incorporated district-level data on precipitation, the number of wet days, and the in- tensity of those wet days. We analysed the association between the resilience index, household disability status, and environmental variables at the district level. To assess whether house- holds with disabilities in districts with high precipitation or frequent wet days exhibit different levels of resilience than those without disabilities, we estimated a regression model. The results indicate that households with disabilities have significantly lower resilience . Moreover, those in districts with precipitation levels above the national average show even greater reductions in resilience. In conclusion, households with disabilities demonstrate even lower resilience in areas with higher precipitation, making them less likely to recover from environmental shocks. It is therefore essential to include and prioritise persons with disabilities in climate change adaptation strategies.

People with disabilities are one of the most vulnerable and excluded groups across the world. Since the publication of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the number of count...

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between dental caries and multidimensional poverty in Colombia using data from the National Oral Health Survey (ENSAB IV, Spanish acronym). Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted using data from 20,534 individuals in six regions of the country. Dental caries was assessed using the ICDAS system, and multidimensional poverty was measured using a proxy Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) adapted from the method adjusted for Colombia. Descriptive analyses and bivariate comparisons were carried out, and Poisson regression models adjusted for sociodemographic variables were applied. Results: Households containing at least one member with caries had a higher incidence (59.9%) and intensity (46.7%) of multidimensional poverty compared to those without caries (52.6% and 45.6%, respectively). Significant associations were identified between caries and deprivation in education (low educational attainment: RR = 1.27), child labor (RR = 1.16), unemployment (RR = 1.04), lack of health insurance (RR = 1.09), and inadequate housing conditions (RR = 1.19). The model that analyzed the presence of caries in a household and multidimensional poverty, when controlled for housing conditions, confirmed a positive association between the MPI and the presence of caries (IRR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.050–1.107; p-value < 0.001). A female head of household and rural residence were also identified as variables associated with the presence of caries in a household. Conclusions: The presence of a household member with dental caries is significantly associated with multidimensional poverty in Colombia. This study highlights the need to consider oral health as a sensitive indicator of structural inequality and proposes its inclusion in social progress metrics. The findings support the design of comprehensive public health strategies that address the social determinants of oral health, especially in vulnerable populations.

High rates of maternal mortality continue to be one of the most important public-health issues in Colombia. In 2020 the total mortality rate for the countr

This article examines the essential work carried out by community-based organizations in three municipalities of Colombia’s Pacific region marked by a history of conflict and political violence: Buenaventura, Quibdó, and Tumaco. The study focuses on understanding how these entities actively contribute to fostering the emotional well-being and mental health of children, adolescents, and youth, who represent a particularly vulnerable population within these contexts. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and dialogue sessions with grassroots organizations, the analysis provides a detailed exploration of the diverse strategies and practices they implement. The findings offer an encouraging view of the role these initiatives play as fundamental pillars for promoting mental health. Their impact is especially evident in the creation and mainte nance of spaces that are safe, protective, and free from violence—places that provide children and young people with the essential opportunity to express their emotions openly and cultivate meaningful connections with their communities. A particularly noteworthy contribution of the study is the identification of innovative approaches through which several of the community organizations interviewed integrate Afro- Colombian traditional knowledge with a range of artistic practices and sensitive psycho social support tailored to local needs. This combination enables them to address complex emotional and psychological wounds in ways that are culturally relevant and effective. Overall, the study underscores the crucial importance of these community practices as agents of change in building environments that foster emotional well-being and mental health, particularly in territories deeply affected by the dynamics of armed conflict.

People with disabilities worldwide encounter barriers to accessing care and support systems. Existing care frameworks often focus on supporting caregivers, operating under the assumption that people with disabilities are largely dependant. However, under a human rights framework it is fundamental to recognise the role that people play, both providing and receiving care, and if care needs are adequately met. This study collects and analyses data from 1001 individuals with disabilities in Bogotá, Colombia, to assess the extent of unsatisfied care needs among this group. We identified individual and household characteristics that are associated with unsatisfied care needs using a multinomial probit and a probit model. The result revealed that 58.7% of participants received an insufficient amount of care, and 7.6% did not receive care at all despite needing it. In total, 66.3% of respondents had unsatisfied care needs. Adults with disabilities experiencing unsatisfied care needs were more likely to be older, male, experiencing functional limitations in daily activities, unemployed, or having lower educational attainment. Notably, 35.7% of respondents also provided care to household members—including children, older adults, individuals with disabilities, and those who were ill or injured. Findings highlight the need for Bogotá’s care system to recognise people with disabilities as both care recipients and caregivers, and to tailor support mechanisms to meet their diverse needs.

Introduction: Multidimensional poverty (deprivations in education, health, and living standards) affects people with and without HIV. We compared poverty levels by HIV status in Eastern and Southern Africa and identified indicators driving deprivations. Method: We analysed the 2020–22 Population HIV Impact Assessment data from Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe using the Alkire-Foster method, calculating the multidimensional poverty index (MPI), headcount ratio, and poverty intensity, using the Stata 14.2 mpi command. We classified individuals deprived in 20·0%–33·3% of indicators as vulnerable to poverty, ≥33·3% as poor, and ≥50·0% as severely poor. We estimated the number of people in each poverty category, and decomposed poverty by indicators. Analyses were survey-weighted, disaggregated by sex, residence, and age (15–24 years), and differences by HIV status tested using the Rao–Scott chi-square test (p <0·05). Results: People living with HIV (PLHIV) comprised 7·1% (11·8 million) of the study population (164·9 million). PLHIV were more likely to be vulnerable to poverty, poor, or severely poor than people without HIV. In Eswatini, with the lowest poverty level, PLHIV had higher MPIs (0·248 95% CI [0·239–0·257]) than people without HIV (0·220 [0·215–0·226]). 53·7% [51·8%–55·5%], 99,000, PLHIV were poor compared to 47·5% [46·4%– 48·6%], 266,000, of people without HIV. In Mozambique, with the highest poverty level, the MPIs were similar for people living with and without HIV, but poverty remained higher among PLHIV (70·2% [67·8%– 72·5%], 1·5 million, versus 69·6% [68·6%–70·5%], 10·5 million). The intensity of poverty did not differ across the countries. Education/employment and living standards accounted most for deprivations. Interpretation: Nearly three-quarters of PLHIV in Eastern and Southern Africa experienced multidimensional poverty. Integrating HIV and poverty-reduction efforts, prioritising education, employment, clean energy, water, sanitation, housing, and assets is required. Including HIV indicators in poverty surveys, and research to accelerate joint progress are required. Funding: This study received no external funding Research in context: Evidence before this study: We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, reports by UNAIDS, UNDP, World Bank, and other grey literature, using subject headings and keyword terms ("HIV and poverty", "Differences in poverty between people living with HIV and people not living with HIV", "Multidimensional poverty and HIV", "HIV and sanitation", and "Differences between PLHIV and general population in assets") for English-language publications from January 1, 2005, to September 31, 2025. We reviewed 52 articles published in English (Supplement A1). The studies showed that people living with HIV (PLHIV) face socioeconomic disadvantage, including material deprivation, reduced employment, and limited household assets. The studies find as association between poverty among PLHIV with poorer immunologic and virologic response to antiretroviral therapy, lower adherence, and greater comorbidity. They further show inadequate access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene, increasing diarrhoeal disease and reducing treatment absorption among PLHIV. Other studies find that people living with HIV are deprived in cooking fuels, leading to upper respiratory infections. Most studies used single indicators of poverty or were restricted to individual settings or countries. Added value of this study: This study, to our knowledge, provides the first multi-country assessment of multidimensional poverty by HIV status in Eastern and Southern Africa. We find across countries, that people living with HIV (PLHIV) were more likely to be vulnerable to poverty, poor, or severely poor than people without HIV. Multidimensional poverty among PLHIV was driven by deprivations in education and employment, and deprivations in living standards such as electricity, clean cooking energy, safe drinking water, sanitation, housing, and household assets. Implications of all the available evidence: Despite major gains in HIV treatment and prevention and in national poverty reduction efforts, PLHIV continue to face socioeconomic and infrastructural disadvantage. These deprivations increase PLHIV’s risk to comorbidities and undermine HIV prevention and treatment services, slowing progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Integrating HIV responses with poverty reduction and social protection strategies is essential. Incorporating HIV indicators into national poverty monitoring systems and prioritising investment in education, employment, and essential services can accelerate joint progress towards ending AIDS and reducing poverty, in a context of declining external funding.

Climate-Sensitive Infectious Diseases (CSIDs) are diseases whose prevalence and transmission are heavily influenced by climatic factors, posing a significant challenge to public health, particularly in vulnerable regions such as Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This study employs a bibliometric analysis to evaluate the evolution and distribution of research on CSID and the analytical methods employed in the field. Using bibliometric and text-mining techniques, the analysis examines publication trends, research hotspots, and methodological developments from 2015 to 2024. The results highlight a regional concentration of research, with Brazil leading in CSID studies, particularly on arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. The analysis also reveals the predominance of regression models, time-series analysis, and spatial analysis as primary methods used to forecast and analyze disease outbreaks. However, advanced techniques such as neural networks and niche modeling are gaining traction, indicating a shift towards more data-intensive approaches. The findings underscore the importance of enhancing forecasting capabilities and integrating analytical models into public-health systems to anticipate the impact of climate change on disease patterns. This study offers critical insights into methodological trends and identifies gaps for future research, contributing to more effective decision making in public health across Latin America and the Caribbean.