an absolute poverty line refers to a set standard of what households should be able to have in order to meet their basic mostly food needs a relative poverty line is defined in relation to the overall distribution of income or consumption in a country for example the main poverty line used in the organization for economic cooperation and development oecd and the european union is a relative poverty measure based on economic distance a level of income usually set at or per cent of the median household income however as a result of the hivaids pandemic conflicts shocks such as recurrent droughts and rapid urbanization many older persons in subsaharan africa have become primary sources of support for their families andor caregivers for grandchildren because primeage adults have fallen ill died or migrated