The Power of Safety in Health

Speaker Paul Pholeros’ reducing poverty keynote focuses on how changing living conditions can drastically improve people's health.  Pholeros is a co-director of an organization called Healthabitat, which is a group working to reduce poor living environments both in and out of Australia.

Paul Pholeros discusses being asked to stop sickness in northwest South Australia by the director of the Aboriginal-controlled health service. Once he had immersed himself in the community, it became clear to him that these people were lacking some basic living necessities, which was contributing to their poor health. After fixing up the homes in this community, the indigenous people’s health was radically improved. Phorleros believes that sickness could be significantly reduced by fixing homes and providing people with working showers, toilets and safe stoves.