Related topics: health care
Health
hideAt the time of the creation of the World Health Organization (WHO), in 1948, Health was defined as being "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity".
This definition invited nations to expand the conceptual framework of their health systems beyond issues related to the physical condition of individuals and their diseases, and it motivated us to focus our attention on what we now call social determinants of health. Consequently, WHO challenged political, academic, community, and professional organisations devoted to improving or preserving health to make the scope of their work explicit, including their rationale for allocating resources. This opened the door for public accountability [3].
Only a handful of publications have focused specifically on the definition of health and its evolution in the first 6 decades. Some of them highlight its lack of operational value and the problem created by use of the word "complete." Others declare the definition, which has not been modified since 1948, "simply a bad one." [4]. More recently, Smith suggested that it is "a ludicrous definition that would leave most of us unhealthy most of the time." [5].
In 1986, the WHO, in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, said that health is "a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities." Classification systems such as the WHO Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC), which is composed of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) also define health.
Overall health is achieved through a combination of physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being, which, together is commonly referred to as the Health Triangle.
For more information about Health, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with health
Understanding the pros and cons of health overhaul
7 hours ago |
5 / 5 (1) |
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(AP) -- Maybe you've been reading the health care bill in your spare time. Then perhaps you can answer this question:
Cutting greenhouse pollutants could directly save millions of lives worldwide
Nov 25, 2009 |
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Tackling climate change by reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse emissions will have major direct health benefits in addition to reducing the risk of climate change, especially in low-income countries, according to ...
Six bad reactions to swine flu vaccine in Canada: official (Update)
Medicine & Health / Medications
Nov 24, 2009 |
3.3 / 5 (7) |
4
Six severe allergic reactions to swine flu vaccinations have been observed in Canada, health authorities said Tuesday, adding that all of the individuals are feeling better.
Cellphone powers back pain chip in Taiwan
Nov 27, 2009 |
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Taiwanese researchers have developed a chip to treat backpain that is powered by mobile phone, a member of the team said Friday.
Diabetes cases to double and costs to triple by 2034
Nov 27, 2009 |
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In the next 25 years, the number of Americans living with diabetes will nearly double, increasing from 23.7 million in 2009 to 44.1 million in 2034. Over the same period, spending on diabetes will almost triple, rising from ...
High salt intake directly linked to stroke and cardiovascular disease
Nov 24, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (5) |
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High salt intake is associated with significantly greater risk of both stroke and cardiovascular disease, concludes a study published in the BMJ today.
WHO says Tamiflu still works against swine flu
Medicine & Health / Medications
Nov 26, 2009 |
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(AP) -- The World Health Organization says isolated cases of drug-resistant swine flu in Britain and the United States have not changed the agency's assessment of the disease.
China reports 8 cases of mutated swine flu virus
Nov 25, 2009 |
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(AP) -- China has detected eight people infected with mutated forms of the swine flu virus, a health official said Wednesday, but flu drugs and vaccines still work against it.
Mutation found in swine flu virus: WHO
Nov 20, 2009 |
3.3 / 5 (3) |
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The World Health Organisation said Friday that a mutation had been found in samples of the swine flu virus taken following the first two deaths from the pandemic in Norway.
Therapy 32 times more cost effective at increasing happiness than money
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Nov 20, 2009 |
2.8 / 5 (6) |
3
(PhysOrg.com) -- Research by the University of Warwick and the University of Manchester finds that psychological therapy could be 32 times more cost effective at making you happy than simply obtaining more money. The research ...
The e-waste dilemma
Nov 24, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Electronic devices could create significant environmental and health problems after they are thrown away. UC Irvine researchers are working with engineers, manufacturers and public health ...
Bottling up work woes increases heart risk: study
Nov 24, 2009 |
4 / 5 (1) |
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Men who bottle up frustrations about unfair treatment at work are twice as likely to have a heart attack, a study published in Britain on Tuesday suggests.
Alcohol helps lower heart disease risk for men: study
Nov 19, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (7) |
7
Men who drink alcohol every day see a nearly one-third average reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease, according to a long-term study among Spanish men published on Thursday.
Cigarettes harbor many pathogenic bacteria: Study
Nov 19, 2009 |
3.7 / 5 (6) |
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Cigarettes are "widely contaminated" with bacteria, including some known to cause disease in people, concludes a new international study conducted by a University of Maryland environmental health researcher ...
UN: HIV outbreak peaked in 1996
Medicine & Health / HIV & AIDS
Nov 24, 2009 |
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1
(AP) -- The number of people worldwide infected with the virus that causes AIDS - about 33 million - has remained virtually unchanged for the last two years, United Nations experts said Tuesday.
