The Right to Health and Digital Anachronism
Health is a complex concept which has been interpreted in a variety of ways, and the multitude of perspectives on this topic is reflected by the fact that many different definitions are in existence. Moreover, in digital society, the accumulation of past categories and understandings can co-exist with new concepts, often without hierarchy or precedence, a phenomenon called “digital anachronism”.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. However, this definition may be seen as overly ambitious and even utopian given the increasing evidence of the importance of risk factors at individual, community, and societal levels, such as diet, lifestyle behaviours, environment, genetics, and ageing.
A key issue with the current approach to health is that it has focused primarily on the detection and treatment of illness. While this is important, it does not adequately account for the factors that lead to an individual being healthy or unhealthy, such as daily habits such as exercise and sleep or a person’s level of stress.
For example, a person’s fitness level is determined by their daily routine of exercising and sleeping. A person’s diet is influenced by their daily choices of foods, and their stress level is affected by their daily interactions with people. The result is that a person’s overall health, which includes physical and mental wellbeing, is dependent on a variety of factors which are collectively called a person’s ‘healthy lifestyle’.
Nevertheless, a focus on promoting health-enhancing behaviours and reducing unhealthful habits has led to some success. This approach is also based on the notion that a person’s health depends on their ability to adapt to and thrive in a changing environment. This is also a core idea of the WHO constitution which states that every person has the right to “the highest attainable standard of health” (Constitution of the World Health Organization 1948).
As a result, some countries have established a public right to health by constitutional means. This has enabled citizens to demand quality healthcare services from their governments, and has provided a framework for identifying what needs to be improved.
However, the right to health can only be fully realised when it is combined with measures to tackle the root causes of health problems. To do this, we need to consider the scales of values in each individual and community, and make sure that health is placed higher on those scales than any other aspect of life. Then it will be natural for people to take proactive measures to promote their own health. This is how we can achieve the true vision of health that was enshrined in the WHO constitution. This is the only way we can achieve a holistic approach to health that is able to deal with the complexity of the world in which we live. To do this requires a combination of approaches that include the medical and public health sectors.
Health is a complex concept which has been interpreted in a variety of ways, and the multitude of perspectives on this topic is reflected by the fact that many different definitions are in existence. Moreover, in digital society, the accumulation of past categories and understandings can co-exist with new concepts, often without hierarchy or precedence, a phenomenon called “digital anachronism”. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. However, this definition may be seen as overly ambitious and even utopian given the increasing evidence of the importance of risk factors at individual, community, and societal levels, such as diet, lifestyle behaviours, environment, genetics, and ageing. A key issue with the current approach to health is that it has focused primarily on the detection and treatment of illness. While this is important, it does not adequately account for the factors that lead to an individual being healthy or unhealthy, such as daily habits such as exercise and sleep or a person’s level of stress. For example, a person’s fitness level is determined by their daily routine of exercising and sleeping. A person’s diet is influenced by their daily choices of foods, and their stress level is affected by their daily interactions with people. The result is that a person’s overall health, which includes physical and mental wellbeing, is dependent on a variety of factors which are collectively called a person’s ‘healthy lifestyle’. Nevertheless, a focus on promoting health-enhancing behaviours and reducing unhealthful habits has led to some success. This approach is also based on the notion that a person’s health depends on their ability to adapt to and thrive in a changing environment. This is also a core idea of the WHO constitution which states that every person has the right to “the highest attainable standard of health” (Constitution of the World Health Organization 1948). As a result, some countries have established a public right to health by constitutional means. This has enabled citizens to demand quality healthcare services from their governments, and has provided a framework for identifying what needs to be improved. However, the right to health can only be fully realised when it is combined with measures to tackle the root causes of health problems. To do this, we need to consider the scales of values in each individual and community, and make sure that health is placed higher on those scales than any other aspect of life. Then it will be natural for people to take proactive measures to promote their own health. This is how we can achieve the true vision of health that was enshrined in the WHO constitution. This is the only way we can achieve a holistic approach to health that is able to deal with the complexity of the world in which we live. To do this requires a combination of approaches that include the medical and public health sectors.