Good health matters

The immense value of health to human life has been universally acknowledged.  As declared in Article 25 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

The ‘Constitution of the World Health Organization’ which came into effect in 1948 also recognises health as a basic human right and states that “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.

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The meaning of ‘health’ can be individually viewed from various perspectives.  Understanding how different individuals consider health on a personal level could provide professionals with useful indications on what can influence behaviour with respect to health and wellness within the general population.

There are also some prevention tips for different settings and situations to help a person protect themselves and others from coronavirus. In 1984, the World Health Organisation compiled a report from a working group discussion on health promotion. In this document, health is viewed as the ability of a person or group of individuals to “realise aspirations and satisfy needs,” and similarly, “to change or cope with the environment.

Hence, health is considered a “positive concept,” “emphasising social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities. With this view, the attention lies on promoting healthy practices, even in situations where the disease is already present. This concept leads to the idea of health promotion as a “process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health.

The diverse range of contexts in which the term is found emphasizes how interdisciplinary and multidimensional global health has become. Despite the ongoing growth in the field of Global Health there continues to be no widely agreed definition of the term, and often continue to be used interchangeably with other terms such as Public Health and International Health. Therefore, taking care of yourself prevents health problems and saves money by reducing the number of office visits and medications you need. Self-care reduces the heavy costs of healthcare associated with the disease.

Tabitha Bala

Mass Communication Department,

University of Maiduguri