Although the World Health organization’s (WHO) definition may seem outdated to some, it provided a good definition of health at the time it was released. In 1948, the main source of illness was a result of disease and incurable illnesses. The definition “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease of infirmity” (WHO, 2006) was accurate. Taking the definition literally, it would mean that being healthy, in their view, excludes having any disease at all (Fallon & Karlawish, 2019), which has now resulted in concerns with the concept of “complete” in relation to wellbeing (Huber, 2011).Fast forward to today, this definition isn’t as appropriate to defining what health is, as one can have a chronic disease, all the while, that same disease having very little impact to their overall quality of life.
As stated in the article “It’s time to change the definition of ‘health’” (Fallon & Karlawish, 2019), modern technology is allowing for earlier diagnosis of diseases, better chances of cure, as well as more education to take preventative measures to avoid illness. Older adults are living longer, and often with several chronic illnesses, controlled by modern day medications, diet, and healthy lifestyles, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Many are in control of these illnesses, all while leading a “healthy” life. Taking all of this into account, WHO’s definition does not depict an accurate picture of what health is in 2022, and proving that it is outdated. It’s important to consider the concept of one’s resilience when it comes to their overall health. (Oleribe, O, et al, 2018). One may have existing chronic diseases, but may feel free of disease mentally, all the while not having impact to their social well being. In addition to this, it’s important to note that if a person does not have the resources available in their community, then they would not be able to take advantage of such advancements to manage their illness(es). (Oleribe, O, et al, 2018). Much of one’s health is also impacted by their socioeconomic status. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, health is: “a positive concept that emphasizes social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities”. (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2017). Access to resources for earlier diagnosis, education for prevention, and the money required for the necessary care needed, to achieve the highest level health possible.
All that being said, there is a lot more to consider than the complete physical, mental, and social well-being when it comes to health. In the above picture, there are many other determinants which affect one’s health. With the number of variables present, it’s important to note that it is almost impossible to be completely free of any disease mentally, physically, and socially. WHO’s definition should take that into account to redefine what health is. A contemporary definition of health recognizes that disease and disability can and often do co-exist with health. (Bradley, 2018). More accurately, health should be redefined as: “a satisfactory and acceptable state of physical (biological), mental (intellectual), emotional (psychological), economic (financial), and social (societal) wellbeing.” (Oleribe, O, et al, 2018). In the video below, Machteld Huber goes on to explain how “rather than being a goal in itself, health should be a means that enables people to live a meaningful life”.
References:
Canada, P. H. A. of. (2021, February 24). Government of Canada. Canada.ca. Retrieved February 5, 2022, from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/corporate/transparency/corporate-management-reporting/departmental-performance-reports/2017-2018-departmental-results-report.html
Fallon, C. K., & Karlawish, J. (2019, July 16). It's time to change the definition of 'health'. STAT. Retrieved February 4, 2022, from https://www.statnews.com/2019/07/17/change-definition-health/
Huber, M. (2011). HEALTH: HOW SHOULD WE DEFINE IT? BMJ: British Medical Journal, 343(7817), 235–237. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23051314
Kent L Bradley, USA (Ret), Thomas Goetz, Sheila Viswanathan, Toward a Contemporary Definition of Health, Military Medicine, Volume 183, Issue suppl_3, November-December 2018, Pages 204–207, https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usy213
Oleribe, O. O., Ukwedeh, O., Burstow, N. J., Gomaa, A. I., Sonderup, M. W., Cook, N., Waked, I., Spearman, W., & Taylor-Robinson, S. D. (2018, August 24). Health: Redefined. The Pan African medical journal. Retrieved February 5, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6320447/#cit0017
WHO. (2006, October). Constitution of the world health organization. Constitution of the World Health Organization. Retrieved February 5, 2022, from https://www.who.int/governance/eb/who_constitution_en.pdf
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