The state where people have insufficient resources to meet their basic needs to maintain life, lacking essential requirements such as adequate food, clothing and shelter. An arbitrary international poverty line is drawn, usually expressed in constant dollars and is used as a basis for estimating the proportion of a population that exists at or below the bare levels of subsistence indicated by this line. People in absolute poverty are unlikely to gain long-term benefit from health services until their poverty is relieved.
Poverty is a key factor affecting health status, and the expectation and quality of life .
Absorptive capacity -The ability of a country or an organization to absorb and effectively work with foreign aid. In providing and in receiving assistance, it is commonly recognized that countries and organizations need to develop new capacities to work with assistance programmes and projects. These capacities include political, financial and managerial arrangements which need initial development in all partners. General principles emerging from an analysis of the problems in managing international assistance are pertinent to the better management of aid for health services reform. Improving absorptive capacities takes time, experience, commitment and management skill.