Good health for all: An international perspective

<p>Samlee Plianbangchang</p>

Good health for all: An international perspective

Samlee Plianbangchang

World Health Organization, India

: J Health Inform Manag

Abstract

This presentation is to review the government’s role and responsibilities to educate and support its population to achieve optimum health. Recommendations for multi-sectorial and interdisciplinary collaborative efforts are suggested through an appropriate approach in health development. Regardless of income level, we all aspire to be in good health. This makes health a key driving force behind income generation. In order to meet the demand for good health, it is essential to understand the important role played by reliable health services and health practitioners. A government’s main objective should be to reach the highest possible level of health within the nation by providing the most appropriate support to individuals who actively participate in the national social and economic development. The governments should ensure that its people have equal access to the best level of healthcare at a cost that the country can afford and maintain. This statement accepts the present situation wherein physically and biologically, there is no one free from sickness. Achieving good health for all must be built on the epidemiological reality and the healthcare system based on primary health care approach. Health should be viewed as an individual responsibility and self-reliance in health at individual, family and community level is fundamental to achieving the described who health for all goals. Moreover, governments and health personnel should be relied upon to develop knowledge base and support elements required for educating and empowering individuals to make the most appropriate health care choices for themselves, family and community. Health of population is undoubtedly an indispensable factor in a nation’s progress toward wellbeing peace, security and prosperity. Crucially important to ensuring good health for all is the active engagement of all concerned stakeholders from a variety of sectors and disciplines. Furthermore, technical and back-up support needs to be coordinately provided through full participation of health and other professions at district, sub-district and village levels to ensure equal accessibility to the most efficient healthcare services. The government is responsible for developing an effective national health care policy and system as well as social infrastructure support. The allocation of funds accrued from taxation can be efficiently utilized to provide a fair health insurance system for all people. Since prevention is better than cure, it is wise to invest more in a pro-active health strategy, emphasizing prevention and control of sickness and disability in population that can result in reduced medical care costs. Another important element of the pro-active strategy is the development of health promotion and health maintenance program to educate and empower people, but also to develop methods of disease control and prevention for use by individuals, family and community.

Conclusions: Health is essentially an individual responsibility. Government and qualified health personnel have an obligation to promote the importance of good health practices at family and community level through education and the provision of adequate infrastructure and support. In order to avoid being a risk to society, individuals should, among other things, modify their behavior and lifestyles. The miracle of the human body is still being studied, but we know that the body has a natural capacity to resist sickness if it is properly maintained and further enhanced through a holistic approach to health education and health promotion. Effective self-care is important to good health and is entirely dependent on people themselves as a basic responsibility, both individually and collectively, This aspect of health development should be firmly built into the national health care system.