Health
Introduction
 |
Health
Introduction
|
Good health is absolutely essential for social and economic development. However, despite progress made towards the material well-being of many in the industrialized world, the majority of the world’s citizens continue to suffer from poor health.
There are many reasons for this disparity, but population growth, globalization, and inappropriate development have had a tremendous impact on the developing world directly. In the richer nations, over consumption has caused serious environmental health impacts. As an indirect result a much higher priority has been placed on curative rather than preventative health programs.
As with all of the major issues facing the world at the beginning of the 21st century, health cannot be considered in isolation. We can see its impact on everything from population, to the economy, to peace and conflict. By the same token, health is profoundly influenced by economic trends, environmental degradation, or the budgetary priorities established by any national government.
Although the news is filled with shocking stories about epidemics like HIV-AIDS or the lack of health care coverage for poorer citizens in industrialized countries, recent reports indicate a number of changes for the better. Immunization programs are expanding in the developing world. There are certainly many opportunities to break the cycle of poor health care, including the extension of reproductive health facilities to women, as well as access for all people to a nutritious diet and clean water.
The benefits of a comprehensive global “wellness” program are clear. Healthy citizens are more capable of economic productivity as well as social and political engagement. But such a program would require a reordering of priorities by all nations, so that preventive public health receives as much support as the more expensive curative programs currently given top priority in the affluent countries. Health care, of necessity, would take a much larger bite out of national and international budgets; a reordering of spending priorities would need to take place.