Awareness Day

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

October 17, 2026 Recurs yearly

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2026 – Safe Homes for All

2026 Theme

United for Peace and Human Rights

Campaign Description

Highlights the strong link between poverty and poor health outcomes and advocates for health equity.

Theme Focus

The 2026 observance, which is the start of a three-year theme (2026–2028), puts safe, adequate and affordable housing at the center of poverty eradication. The UN emphasizes that poverty is multidimensional: without a safe and stable home, people can face greater barriers to healthcare, education, employment, sanitation, social participation and other basic rights.

The campaign also emphasizes that people experiencing poverty and housing exclusion should be directly involved in designing, implementing and evaluating solutions, rather than being treated simply as recipients of assistance.

Key Priorities

  • Safe, adequate and affordable housing
  • Housing as a human right
  • Reducing homelessness and housing insecurity
  • Access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene
  • Preventing overcrowded and unsafe living conditions
  • Affordable access to essential services
  • Meaningful participation of people experiencing poverty
  • Social protection and economic opportunity
  • Reducing inequality and exclusion
  • Protecting dignity and human rights
  • Stronger public investment in housing and basic services
  • Building peaceful, inclusive and resilient communities

Key Concepts

  • Poverty
  • Extreme poverty
  • Multidimensional poverty
  • Housing insecurity
  • Homelessness
  • Adequate housing
  • Affordable housing
  • Housing rights
  • Human dignity
  • Human rights
  • Social protection
  • Inequality
  • Social exclusion
  • Sanitation
  • Hygiene
  • Clean water
  • Access to healthcare
  • Access to education
  • Vulnerable populations
  • Community participation
  • Social inclusion
  • Poverty reduction
  • SDG 1
  • SDG 10
  • SDG 11
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