Effects of Poverty on the Health of People and Environmental Living Conditions in Kaduna, Nigeria.

Abstract Poverty remains a major socioeconomic and public-health challenge in Nigeria, with consequences for human health and environmental living conditions. Beyond inadequate income, poverty involves deprivation in access to healthcare, nutritious food, safe drinking water, sanitation, adequate housing, education and other essential services. This paper examines the effects of poverty on the health of people and environmental living conditions in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The study adopts a descriptive review design based on secondary data obtained from official reports, peer-reviewed studies and publications from relevant national and international organisations. Evidence indicates that socioeconomic deprivation is closely associated with inadequate environmental conditions and restricted access to essential health services. The Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index provides evidence of substantial deprivation across Nigeria, while Kaduna-specific research has documented significant challenges in water supply, sanitation and hygiene. A study involving 854 respondents in five Kaduna State Local Government Areas found that surface water and unprotected hand-dug wells were major drinking-water sources, while pit latrines and open defecation remained important sanitation concerns. Poverty can therefore contribute to a cycle in which inadequate living conditions increase exposure to disease, illness generates additional household expenditure and loss of productivity, and these consequences further deepen poverty. The paper concludes that reducing the health effects of poverty in Kaduna requires an integrated approach involving poverty reduction, improved healthcare, safe water supply, sanitation, environmental management, housing, nutrition, and education and employment opportunities.