We have all heard of the phrase 'Poor fellow, dirty fellow!'. But that hides more than it describes. It implies that the Rich are clean and civilised beings. The truth is very different. The powerful and rich in society control and consume most of the resources. The burden and consequences of the pollution and waste thus generated is mostly borne by the poor. Bad environment means bad health. Poor people lack basic services because they cannot pay for them. Infact poor people do pay relatively more for water than the wealthy and may be coughing up huge amounts for private medical services. Ill-health is both the cause and a consequence of poverty. Illness reduce productivity-lowers learning ability-diminished quality of life- perpetuating poverty. Poor are more exposed to personal and environmental risks. The bigger the gap between the rich and the poor the worse is the health of a society. About 20% of the world population, 1,300 million people live in absolute poverty with an income less than US $1 per day.Surviving with less than US $2 per day is a reality for more than half of the people on the planet. Can we change that?