An overview of the multidimensional poverty in Honduras: gaps, barriers,and opportunities for growth

INTRODUCTION: The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is a systematic measurement of the tools and resources an individual or a community has at its disposal to increase their public health capacity and promote Human Development (HD). This thesis seeks to describe the social, cultural, political, and governmental barriers to overcoming Multidimensional Poverty (MP) and to providing vulnerable populations with the necessary resources to reduce the burden of poverty and disease, particularly in the setting of rural Honduras.\ud METHODS: This thesis provides a review of the extant literature on this topic, focusing specifically on systematic reviews and citation snowball sampling for each of the MPI indicators. The databases Pubmed, Google Scholar, and JSTOR were used. \ud RESULTS: The ten indicators of the MPI are categorized into three main sections that are essential for poverty reduction: health, education, and standard of living. Health is measured by nutrition and child mortality, education is measured by years of schooling and attendance, and standard of living by sanitation, hygiene, floor, assets, cooking fuel, and electricity. Each of these components and subcomponents have adverse health effects as well as potential public health intervention strategies that have been evidentially supported in the literature. \ud DISCUSSION: Solutions to improve each of the indicated dimensions of multidimensional poverty are holistic and multifaceted, and interventions that are targeted to only one dimension can have spillover effects and affect another dimension. The importance of well-rounded growth and development is absolutely essential for the elimination of MP, particularly for those in rural Honduras who many times fight against barriers like corruption and environmental duress. The sister parish mission between Nuestra Señora de Suyapa in Honduras and St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in North Carolina, USA, is an applied example of how a third party institution can reduce MP; a solution that deserves further exploration.\ud CONCLUSION: There is plenty of evidence in the literature that suggests possibilities for reducing the MPI as measured by the indicators of health, education, and livelihood. While there are limitations to this thesis study design, it is apparent that, given one-fifth of Honduras remains in MP, the recommendations provided herein suggest intervention points that bear further exploration in the effort to reduce multidimensional poverty in Honduras.\u