Health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Health care - Essay Example The Sage online dictionary defines health as ‘the general condition of body and mind’, as well as ‘A healthy state of well-being free from disease’ (The Sages Dictionary Online, 2012). This literal meaning assumes relative proportions when visualized through the glass of personal viewpoint on health, which might differ in individuals, or be heavily influenced by cultural and ethnic identity. A more comprehensive definition, as standardized and agreed upon by pertinent authorities in the World Health Organization (WHO), framed in the year 1946, states that ‘Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ (Awofeso, 2012). The WHO bulletin claims that health was considered a divine gift in antiquity, until Hippocrates rationalized its comprehension as a physical state attained by following the basic tenets of sanitation and a good lifestyle. A more recent definition which includes the element of psychological health, with particular emphasis on human health, is the one given by Bircher, which states that health is a dynamic state of well-being characterized by a physical and mental potential, which satisfies the demands of life commensurate with age, culture, and personal responsibility (Bircher, 2005). The WHO definition has persisted for 60 years but has come under criticism due to the emergence of new patterns of illness due to the high number of aged persons in the world, who ironically survive due to better healthcare facilities developed over the years (Huber, Knottnerus, Green, et al 2011). Health promotion literally translates into any activity undertaken to maintain good health, as comprehended as a layperson. Technically, however, definition of the phrase is again provided by WHO which, in its Ottawa charter adopted in Geneva in the year 1986, states that ‘Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve their health’ (WHO,