People living in poverty are more susceptible to disability. The circle poverty/hunger-disability starts with the finding that poverty limits the access to education, health care and dignified work conditions. Extreme poverty even results in social and economic exclusion. People living in poverty run an increased risk of health problems, accidents or abuse, all possibly leading to physical disability since:

• Undernourishment causes health problems and as such can lead to disability. A few examples demonstrate the link between nourishment and disability: a vitamin A deficiency is a well-known cause of blindness and a low level of iodine plays a role in a slower mental development of children;
• People living in poverty are often confronted with limited financial means to pay for medical treatments. Infections of the ear and the eye are quite harmless but are well-known causes of disability when they remain untreated; Wretched living conditions, as often found in refugee camps and overpopulated slums, are a breeding ground for polio, malaria, cholera and typhoid; all life-threatening when left untreated;
• Unhealthy work and living conditions, civil wars, natural disasters,.. are all linked to disability.