World Health Organization, Health Inequity - Essay Example

Answer World Health Organization had defined health as ‘a of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ (WHO, 1996). Health is also overall wellbeing of a person. It can also be defined in terms of environmental factors like poverty, cleanliness, pollution, stress etc that significantly impact the well being of the people. While physical health mainly relates to our bodies as physical entities which should be able to carry out physical activities, mental health focuses on the emotional and cognitive well being. But the definition of health, as defined by WHO is perhaps the most accurate because it primarily focuses on the holistic approach of well being. I prefer this definition because holistic approach to health emphasizes at healthcare delivery system that accessible, affordable and quality driven. This approach ensures that the preventive actions and awareness greatly facilitates the overall well-being of persons. Illnesses are mainly caused due to improper diet, unhygienic conditions and lack of awareness regarding healthcare issues and healthy lifestyle. Proper diet and nutrition is essential for a healthy life. A good and balanced food reduces the risk of diseases, especially the lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes, blood pressure etc that may prove fatal. Adopting holistic approach through the use of alternative medicines hugely promotes all round welfare of the person because it is based on the principle tat the person needs to ‘feel’ good to become healthy. In the contemporary environment of pluralistic society, holistic approach has increasingly become important in the changing socio-cultural environment and takes into consideration the wider implication of the environment in which the people live. In the recent times, the market driven health components are increasingly driving the common man towards alternative health medicines which provide them with more holistic healthcare modules at lesser cost. The alternative health medicines incorporate physical, mental and social well-being of the people. They can broadly be defined as a group of diversified medical and healthcare system and practices that uses non conventional methods of medicines. Ernst et al. have defined as ‘diagnosis, treatment and/or prevention which complements mainstream medicine by contributing to a common whole, by satisfying a demand not met by orthodoxy or by diversifying the conceptual frameworks of medicine’ (Ernst, 2004). The efficacy of the healing is strictly holistic in approach and often treats the disease, not as an isolated event but as part of the wider perspectives that takes into account the physical, mental and social aspect of the individuals. Indeed, it can be concluded that WHO definition gives wide scope to adopt alternative medicine for improved healthcare. The huge diversity of alternative medicines across the world has become a strong contender to the conventional and mainstream medicine. The therapeutic practice of the alternative medicine practitioners largely relies on the learning and teaching methodologies of the regional experts. While alternative medicines like homoeopathy has, to a certain extent been accepted by the mainstream medicines but others practices have yet to prove their reliability and effectiveness to the west. The various non traditional medicines of the have increasingly become popular in the west mainly because they are more focused towards the holistic welfare of the individuals and promote preventive measures. (535) Answer 2 Health inequity can broadly be defined as disparity in the distribution of healthcare delivery. Indeed, various scholars have asserted that it refers to the injustices causing inequalities (Kawachi et al., 2002). In the fast changing dynamics of globalization and increasingly pluralistic societies, the healthcare components like accessibility to good medical care, quality and cost are increasingly moving beyond the grasp of general public. The inflationary trend in the economy and the rigidity in the health insurance are creating an extremely vulnerable segment of society who needs to be addressed urgently both in terms of micro level and at macro level. The recent times have seen a rapid decline of healthcare delivery in America. The market driven medicare has greatly increased the disparity in care provided to the American people, at large. In the market driven health system, consumers or people decide what goods (health module) to buy and at what cost. Therefore, the prices and the level of services become the crucial factor in the exchange of goods or the healthcare services. The privately controlled health delivery has made it inaccessible for the less privileged segment of the society. The concept of accountability is hugely responsible for the high efficiency and effectiveness of all the development issues that are designed to benefit the public, especially that segment of the society that needs the support and facilitating resources for their social integration in the mainstream society. The important mechanisms of delivery of goods and services to the target population, in the field of healthcare are crucial factors requiring a sensitive approach and understanding. According to Singh ‘poor people are most reliant on government services and least equipped to hold government officials to account, they have the most to gain from social accountability initiatives’ (Singh & Shah, 2003). It is observed that there has been indecent escalation in the cost of the Medicare and accessibility of quality healthcare has become a mere dream for the poor. There have been increasingly more Americans that are without adequate health insurance or with inadequate health insurance, putting their health and life at the mercy of God. The recessive trend in the economy has just added to the misery of thousands of American citizens who may be without jobs and cannot afford to fall sick. In such a tough and depressive scenario, Obama’s healthcare plans have come as a silver lining for the vulnerable segments of the society who are the worst sufferer of the time. The highlights of Obama’s health plan are the initiatives taken by the government to make healthcare affordable through measures that would curb wastage, fraud and abuse of Medicare by various stakeholders of the health industries like hospital, doctors, insurers etc. who are directly and indirectly linked with the delivery of healthcare modules. The health plans have focused on the three major areas: ensuring uniformity of plans across gender, age and people with pre-existing diseases; accessibility to quality healthcare; and rein in cost (Whitehouse). It can, thus be concluded that health inequity is major concern for the government because health of the people positively reflects on the sustainable development of a nation. Obama’s initiatives have introduced stringent measures to control discrimination based on gender, age and existing illnesses, thereby ensuring limit to the escalating insurance premium. The various measures would greatly facilitate equitable distribution of healthcare delivery. (556) Reference Ernst E., Cohen, M H., and Stone, J. (2004). Ethical problems arising in evidence based complementary and alternative medicine. J Med Ethics; 30:156–159. Kawachi, I., Subramanian, S.V. & Almeida-Filho, N. (2002). A glossary for health inequalities. Journal of epidemiology and community health, (56) 9, 647-652. Singh, Janmejay and Parmesh Shah (2003). Making Services Work for the Poor: The Role of Participatory Public Expenditure Management. World Bank, Social Development Note No. 81. WhiteHouse. (2009). Health Care. Available from: [Accessed 25 March, 2010]. World Health Organization. (1998). List of Basic Terms. Health Promotion Glossary. (pp. 4). Available from: [Accessed 25 March, 2010]. Read More