what is health essay

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Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Using Performance Monitoring to Improve Community Health; Durch JS, Bailey LA, Stoto MA, editors. Improving Health in the Community: A Role for Performance Monitoring. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1997.

Improving Health in the Community: A Role for Performance Monitoring.

• Hardcopy Version at National Academies Press

2 Understanding Health and Its Determinants

W hat is health? Multiple definitions of health exist, ranging from a precise biomedical or physical definition such as the absence of negative biologic circumstances (altered DNA, abnormal physiologic states, abnormal anatomy, disease, disability, or death) to the broad definition of the World Health Organization: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" (WHO, 1994). The former definition offers the advantages of easy measurement and relatively clarity of the causal connections between the medical and public health care systems and the measured outcomes. The latter definition views health more broadly but risks assigning to the "health" system full responsibility for the economic and social welfare of members of society. Neither definition explicitly takes account of how individuals experience disease. Individuals can feel ill in the absence of disease and vary dramatically in their responses to a disease. Indeed, what matters to individuals is not simply the absence of disease, disability, or death, but also their responses to symptoms or diagnoses; their capacity to participate in work, family, and community; and their sense of well-being in many spheres (e.g., physical, psychosocial, spiritual).

• A Broader Definition of Health

The successful implementation of initiatives to improve community health requires an understanding of the complex and diverse processes that produce health in communities. For both individuals and populations, health can be seen to depend not only on medical care, but also on other factors including individual behavior and genetic makeup, and social and economic conditions. The committee has adopted a broad definition of health, echoing a WHO (1986) health promotion perspective, that acknowledges multiple possible goals for the health system and underscores the important contributions to health that occur outside the formal medical care and public health systems. The committee definition allows improvement efforts to target not only the reduction of disease, disability, or death, but also an improvement in individuals' response to and perceptions of their illnesses; their functional capacity both now and in the future; and their overall sense of physical, emotional, and social well-being. The value of a broad measure thus rests in part upon the value attached to it by the population. Working within a definition of health that explicitly relies, in some measure, on community values is particularly important in a context of decision making for the allocation of limited resources.

Committee definition of health: Health is a state of well-being and the capability to function in the face of changing circumstances. Health is, therefore, a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources as well as physical capabilities. Improving health is a shared responsibility of health care providers, public health officials, and a variety of other actors in the community who can contribute to the well-being of individuals and populations.

As Syme (1996) notes, viewing health as a biomedical construct has limited our ability to integrate processes that produce health and to address the underlying causes of disease. Death, disability, and disease incidence—ascertained by using traditional biologic or epidemiologic measures—are all important and valid indicators of the health of a population. A broader definition, however, allows efforts to measure community health to go beyond traditional public health measures, incorporating measures of functional status and general health perceptions. Communities embarking on health improvement initiatives should consider carefully their definition of health and ground their work in an evidence-based conceptual model of the determinants of health. Three arguments supporting such action are discussed below.

The origins of good health are multiple and cross-sectorial . Origins of good health include factors such as genetic makeup, environmental conditions, nutrition and exercise, access to health care, social support systems, and many others. Some of the factors, such as genetic makeup, are nearly impossible to alter whereas others are amenable to change. In addition, some of the factors influence a variety of health outcomes (e.g., on a population basis, dietary habits and education are known to influence multiple health outcomes). Careful consideration of what is known about the determinants of health highlights the tension between factors that are easily measurable now (e.g., hospitalization rates) and factors that may be equally or more important in the long run (e.g., teenagers' perception of their future) but are much more difficult to measure and monitor. Grounding community health improvement in a broad model of the determinants of health can remind communities to consider multiple and cross-sectorial influences when selecting health issues to target and when designing possible interventions.

A focus on the origins of health emphasizes the need for cross-sectorial assumptions of responsibilities . For various stakeholders to be accountable, the roles of those stakeholders in producing illness or health must be defined. A broad conceptual model of the determinants of health includes the full spectrum of possible influences on health. Such a model provides a valuable framework for communities to use as they consider the roles (and potential contributions) of the various stakeholders and thus each stakeholder's responsibility for health improvement in the community.

A focus on the origins of health creates multiple options for intervention . A conceptual model of the determinants of health can serve as the starting point for communities to identify what is known about issues they wish to address. Options for intervening can reflect the unique characteristics of the community vis-à-vis available resources, cultural norms, and target populations. Performance measures can then be developed as the basis for strategic actions.

The rationale for adopting a broad definition of health lies not only in its value to the population served by the health system and its usefulness in identifying measures of the origins of health. A broad definition of health also is appropriate for the changing nature of the "health care system," reflects the interconnectedness of health and social systems, and is consistent with current scientific evidence about how health is produced in communities (Aguirre-Molina, 1996; Warden, 1996).

Changing Nature of the "Health Care System"

Many Americans view health as a simple biomedical construct in which health is determined by the provision of health care (Lamarche, 1995). This perspective on health developed during this century, beginning in the 1930s with well-baby clinics and services for "crippled children" and expanding in the 1950s with national investments in biomedical research facilities such as the National Institutes of Health and construction and funding of hospitals through the Hill-Burton program (Guyer, 1990). With advances in medical science and increases in the number of hospitals, policymakers and health care providers became concerned about differential access to health care resources, especially for underserved and hard-to-reach populations. Poverty and geography were viewed as barriers to health care and thus to good health.

Beginning in the 1960s, programs designed to improve access to health services were created, including Medicare and Medicaid. These programs markedly reduced financial barriers for the poor and elderly, and they also ensured a supply of well-trained physicians by providing funds for medical school and residency training programs.

The biomedical model of health has fostered the development of a personal health care system centered around technologically advanced hospitals and highly trained medical specialists. However, the high cost of maintaining these resources is the subject of current public debate. In addition, questions have been raised about the overall contribution of the biomedical model to improvements in health status. Although important, health care has probably been overemphasized as a determinant of health. Of the 30-year increase in the life expectancy achieved this century, only 5 years can be attributed to health care services (Bunker et al., 1995).

The roles of the public sector in managing the health care system and in providing clinical and personal preventive care services as well as public health services are undergoing dramatic changes. Historically, public health departments have provided population-based services and, together with public hospitals and community health centers, have delivered clinical and personal preventive services to poor and uninsured populations. For many public health departments located in the South and in large metropolitan areas, the delivery of clinical and personal preventive services is a primary focus. In the late 1980s, however, the activities of public health departments were reexamined, and the Institute of Medicine (IOM, 1988) recommended a focus on three core functions—assessment, policy development, and assurance. In this framework, the direct provision of clinical and personal preventive services is only a small portion of the assurance function of public health departments. In many states, this transition is in progress. Public hospitals and community health clinics, however, remain important providers of these services.

Currently, most local public health departments do not play a significant role in assuring the quality of personal health care services that they do not purchase or provide. the quality assurance roles of state agencies have also been limited. Private-sector organizations, however, have developed complex and sophisticated quality assurance systems, often more in response to market forces than to demands of the public sector. As more public health departments become involved in quality assurance activities, providers and health plans can be expected to experience the influence of more public-sector demands via standard setting and licensure requirements as well as market forces.

The recent surge in the growth of managed care organizations has taken place in an environment that seeks to continue the delivery of high-quality clinical and personal preventive health services while constraining the costs of care. Managed care organizations are viewed as more capable of responding to the demands of third-party payers for performance and accountability than are clinicians practicing independently. Market forces, which spurred the recent growth of managed care organizations, have influenced the structure of the health care system (Rodwin, 1996). The experience of the Pacific Business Group on Health illustrates the changing relationships in the health system vis-à-vis new roles for purchasers and providers (see Box 2-1 ).

THE PACIFIC BUSINESS GROUP ON HEALTH. The experience of the Pacific Business Group on Health, a private-sector employer purchasing coalition based in the San Francisco Bay Area, demonstrates how "purchasers can shift the focus of the health care system (more...)

Interconnectedness of Health and Social Systems

It has long been recognized that the health of a community has a tremendous impact on the function of its social systems and that the condition of the social and economic systems has a significant impact on the health of all who live in a community (Patrick and Wickizer, 1995). For example, a healthy workforce is more productive, a healthy student body can master lessons more readily, and a healthy population is better able to make progress toward societal goals. Working conditions, economic well-being, school environments, the safety of neighborhoods, the educational level of residents, and a variety of other social conditions have a profound impact on health. Only recently, however, has substantial attention been devoted to understanding and acting upon the interdependence of health and social systems (Ashton and Seymour, 1988).

Health is a growing concern of employers, community-based organizations, schools, faith organizations, the media, local governmental bodies, and community residents, even though their roles are not viewed as part of the traditional domain of "health activities." As communities try to address their health issues in a comprehensive manner, all parties will have to sort out their roles and responsibilities. By reaching out to new partners in the community, traditional partners in health can ensure that all relevant sectors are engaged in efforts to improve health. A recent IOM report on primary care (IOM, 1996) also emphasizes the need for better collaboration among the diverse groups that can influence health. The Health Care and Community Services Project in Escondido, California, illustrates this kind of collaboration among diverse groups and the interconnectedness of health and social systems (see Box 2-2 ).

ESCONDIDO HEALTH CARE AND COMMUNITY SERVICES PROJECT. The Escondido Health Care and Community Services Project aims to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol and other drug use in the community of Escondido, California (population, 120,000; county population, (more...)

• A Model of the Determinants of Health

A resurgence of interest in broader definitions of health and its determinants is, in part, a response to the growing realization that investments in clinical care and personal preventive health services were not leading to commensurate gains in the health of populations (Evans and Stoddart, 1994). In the early 1970s, an ecologic or systems theory approach to understanding health and its determinants generated a multidimensional perspective. Some grouped the factors influencing health into four principal forces: (1) environment, (2) heredity, (3) lifestyles, and (4) health care services (Blum, 1981). A Canadian government white paper, often referred to as the Lalonde Report (Lalonde, 1974), brought wider attention to this "force-field" paradigm.

Initial responses tended to focus on individual behavior as the target of both responsibility and clinical and policy interventions. In the United States as well, the broadened emphasis on health promotion was aimed primarily at modifications of individual behavior that could be, and often were, undertaken as clinical and community interventions (USDHHS, 1991).

Responding, in part, to this focus on individuals largely to the exclusion of the communities in which they live. Evans and Stoddart (1994) proposed an expanded version of this model, illustrated in Figure 2-1 , that identifies both the major influences on health and well-being and the dynamic relationships among them. In developing a model that is consistent with current knowledge about the determinants of health, they identified nine components of interest:

A model of the determinants of health. Source: Reprinted from R.G. Evans and G.L. Stoddart, 1990, Producing Health, Consuming Health Care, Social Science and Medicine 31:1347–1363, with permission from Elsevier Science Ltd, Kidlington, UK.

social environment,

physical environment,

genetic endowment,

individual response (behavior and biology),

health care,

health and function,

well-being, and

prosperity.

Unlike a biomedical model that views health as the absence of disease, this dynamic framework includes functional capacity and well-being as health outcomes of interest. It also presents the behavioral and biologic responses of individuals as factors that influence health but are themselves influenced by social, physical, and genetic factors that are beyond the control of the individual. The model emphasizes general factors that affect many diseases or the health of large segments of the population, rather than specific factors accounting for small changes in health at the individual level. It takes a multidisciplinary approach, uniting biomedical sciences, public health, psychology, statistics and epidemiology, economics, sociology, education, and other disciplines. Social, environmental, economic, and genetic factors are seen as contributing to differences in health status and, therefore, as presenting opportunities to intervene. It is important to note, as Evans and Stoddart (1994) have done, that each component of the model represents complex sets of factors that can be examined in greater detail (see Evans et al., 1994).

The committee found the model proposed by Evans and Stoddart—which is referred to in this report as the field model —broad enough to encompass its vision. Although not yet widely tested, the model has been adapted for health policy and community planning in several Canadian provinces (Roos et al., 1995). Several features of the model were important to the committee. The model

• emphasizes the importance of considering the origins of health and the underlying causes of disease in individuals and populations;
• encourages explicit hypothesizing about the production of health in the community;
• underscores the interdisciplinary and multisectorial efforts often required to achieve health improvement in communities;
• makes explicit the possible trade-offs and benefits that occur across sectors; and
• encourages communities to identify possible performance and outcome measures from all of the categories.

In selecting indicators for performance monitoring, the determinants of health approach is useful in expanding the potential universe of indicators that should be considered. In addition to these practical reasons for adopting a model of the determinants of health such as that proposed by Evans and Stoddart, the field model provides an accurate representation of the complex contributions of physical environment, social environment, individual behavior, genetics, and health services to the well-being of communities.

Components of the Field Model: Some Examples

The components of the field model were discussed at the committee's second workshop. 1 the material below has been drawn from the summary of that workshop (see Appendix D ).

Social Environment and Prosperity

Among the elements of the social environment that have been linked to health are family structure, the educational system, social networks, social class, work setting, and level of prosperity.

Family structure, for example, is known to affect children's physical and mental health. On average, children in single-parent families do not do as well on measures of development, performance, and mental health as children in two-parent families. Children's relationships with their parents, social support, nurturance, and sense of self-efficacy have been shown to be related to their mental and physical health and even to their future economic productivity (Schor and Menaghan, 1995).

Education has an effect on health status separate from its influence on income. Years of formal education are strongly related to age-adjusted mortality in countries as disparate as Hungary, Norway, and England and Wales (Valkonen, 1989). Although most research is based on years of formal schooling, evidence suggests a broader relationship that includes the preschool period. An assessment at age 19 of participants in the Perry Pre-school Study, which randomized children into a Head Start-like program, showed that participation in the preschool program was correlated with better school performance, attending college, and avoiding involvement with the criminal justice system (Weikart, 1989). Critical periods for education, particularly at young ages, may prove to be important in determining health. In addition, studies show that maternal educational attainment is a key determinant of child welfare and survival (Zill and Brim, 1983).

"Social networks" is a term that refers to an individual's integration into a self-defined community and the degree of connectedness to other individuals and to institutions. There is a strong inverse correlation between the number and frequency of close contacts and mortality from all causes, with odds ratios of 2:1 or higher and a clear "dose-response" relationship (Berkman and Syme, 1979). Other aspects of physical and mental functioning also appear to be influenced by the quantity and quality of social connections (Seaman, 1996). Although it is possible to see the impact of social networks on health, the pathways responsible for those effects are not yet known.

Social class is another well-described determinant of health, independent of income. Major studies have been done in Britain, where social class is defined more explicitly than in the United States. In the Whitehall study of British civil servants, Marmot and colleagues (1987) demonstrated a clear relationship between social class (based on job classification) and mortality. The relationship persists throughout the social hierarchy and is unchanged after adjusting for income and smoking. The effect of social class may raise uncomfortable issues in the United States but is important to consider in dealing with issues of health and equity.

The health effects of work-related factors are seen in studies of job decision latitude, autonomy, and cardiovascular mortality (Karasek and Theorell, 1990). Involuntary unemployment negatively affects both mental and physical health. Economic prosperity is also correlated with better health. Throughout history, the poor have, on average, died at younger ages than the rich. The relationship between prosperity and health holds across the economic spectrum. For every decile, quintile, or quartile of income, from lowest to highest, there is a decline in overall age-adjusted mortality. In international comparisons by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the difference in income between the highest and lowest deciles of income shows a stronger relationship with overall mortality rates than does median income (Wilkinson, 1992, 1994).

Physical Environment

The physical environment has long been recognized as an important determinant of health. The public health movement of 1840–1870 emphasized environmental changes as a successful strategy for reducing the epidemic rates of infectious diseases, which flourished in the overcrowded housing with poor sanitation in industrial cities in Europe and North America (Ashton and Seymour, 1988).

The physical environment affects health and disease in diverse ways. Examples include exposures to toxic substances, which can produce disorders such as lung disease or cancers; safety at home and work, which influences injury rates; the design of vehicles and roadways, which can alter crash survival rates; poor housing conditions and overcrowding, which can increase the likelihood of violence, transmission of infectious diseases, and mental health problems; and urban-rural differences in cancer rates.

Genetic Endowment

The contribution of genetic makeup to the health of an individual is a new and emerging area of scientific inquiry. As scientific knowledge about genetics increases, this component of the field model is likely to become increasingly important.

For the most part, genetic factors are currently understood as contributing to a greater or lesser risk for health outcomes, rather than determining them with certainty. One area of particular interest is the link seen between genetics and behavior. Studies of twins separated at birth demonstrate a high concordance rate in alcoholism, schizophrenia, and affective disorders (Baird, 1994). Even so-called voluntary behaviors such as smoking and eating habits may be subject to genetic predispositions (e.g., Carmelli et al., 1992; de Castro, 1993; Falciglia and Norton, 1994). Health behaviors are complex, and the influences that determine them are likely to be extremely complex.

Genetic factors also interact with social and environmental factors to influence health and disease. It will be important to understand these interactions to learn why certain individuals with similar environmental exposures develop diseases whereas others do not (e.g., why most smokers do not develop lung cancer).

In the field model framework, behavior is seen as a response to other factors and can be treated as an intermediate determinant of health. Rather than a voluntary act only amenable to direct intervention, behavior is shaped by multiple forces, particularly the social and physical environments and genetic endowment. At the same time, behavior change remains a goal. Behaviors related to health care, such as adherence to treatment regimens, are influenced by these forces as are behaviors directly influencing health, such as smoking.

Health Care

Health care is an essential determinant of health. In the United States, however, its contribution has probably been over-emphasized. As noted above, about 5 years of the 30-year increase in life expectancy achieved in this century can be attributed to health care (Bunker et al., 1995). The greatest share of this gain can be attributed to diagnosis and treatment of coronary heart disease, which contributes 1 to 2 of these additional years of life.

Linking the Determinants

The committee was impressed by several implications of the field model's theoretical perspective. First, the model clearly reinforces the interrelatedness of many factors. Health outcomes are the product of complex interactions of factors rather than of individual factors operating in isolation. Indeed, these interactions are probably as important as the actions of any single factor. Currently incomplete, however, are descriptions of mechanisms underlying the linkages among the various determinants and full characterizations of the interactions among factors. The committee encourages the continued research needed to gain a better understanding of these mechanisms.

Second, not all of the determinants, viewed as causes, act simultaneously. The effects of some determinants, in fact, may be necessary antecedents to others, and some may have their primary influence by modifying the effects of others. Some may also differ in their relationship to health according to when they are present in the life cycle. Evidence suggests that there are certain times in the human life cycle that are critical for future health and well-being. During infancy and early childhood, crucial neurologic, cognitive, and psychosocial patterns are established (Carnegie Task Force on Meeting the Needs of Young Children, 1994; Entwisle, 1995). Experiences in childhood and adolescence may also have a critical influence on adult health risk factors such as weight and smoking (Dietz, 1994; IOM, 1994).

Another Perspective

Patrick and Wickizer (1995) have extended the field model framework by focusing on factors in the social and physical environments that operate at the community rather than the individual level. These two components are seen as affected by cultural, political, policy, and economic systems. In turn, they influence elements such as community response, activation, and social support, and ultimately community outcomes including social behaviors, community health, and quality of life. For example, establishing a smoke-free workplace policy exerts an influence on exposure to tobacco smoke separate from the smoking practices of individuals. This perspective points both to the influence of community-level factors and to the opportunities for community-level interventions.

• Interventions to Improve Health

Many factors can influence the impact of interventions to improve health. It is possible to target various determinants of health to produce change at an individual level, a community level, or both. All aspects of each broad determinant of health are not equally amenable to intervention, however. For example, the social environment of isolated senior citizens can be improved by increasing contact with others, but their genetic makeup is not amenable to change.

Time frames for measuring health changes vary widely, from days to decades. Some successful interventions will produce observable results within a year or two, but others may be followed by long latency periods before significant changes in health status can be observed. The impact of an intervention may also be influenced by when it reaches an individual because, as noted above, there appear to be "critical periods" in human development. Certain interventions in childhood may have long-delayed yet long-lasting results. In addition, the population effects of interventions are also important to consider. Small changes at the individual level may have important ramifications when applied to a whole community (Rose, 1992).

The traditional targets for intervention have been specific diseases or behaviors, and categorical funding streams for both research and the delivery of services encourage this approach. The field model of the determinants of health encourages consideration of a wider array of targets. For example, if adolescents' sense of well-being can be improved by reducing their feelings of alienation and hopelessness, can unintended pregnancies, alcohol and other drug use, crime, and the school dropout rate all be reduced? A multidimensional approach would be required, focusing on education, social and community involvement, family preservation, and improved social networks for teens and their parents. Community-level interventions might include after-school programs, athletics (e.g., midnight basketball), and church-based programs.

Whether focused on individuals or the community as a whole, health improvement efforts should be targeted at specific causal pathways or should employ interventions that have been proven effective. There is an obvious tension between what is now known and what we need to know to improve health. For example, the biologic pathways through which poverty or low social class influence health have not been adequately elucidated. A tension also exists between what is now measurable with valid and reliable indicators and what is not measurable, but may be important.

The multidimensional approach may be unfamiliar to health professionals because it is new and relies on partnerships with people from fields beyond those traditionally encompassed by a medical model. It is, however, consistent with the field model and may provide expanded opportunities for performance monitoring and improving the community's health.

• Implications for Communities

An examination of the field model points to the importance of considering both individual- and community-level data. Performance monitoring should include measures of inputs, process, and outcomes for health and health improvement activities. It may prove useful to monitor some key determinants, regardless of whether they are amenable to change at the local level, so that communities can understand the range of important factors. In addition, qualitative data may contribute important information about community needs. For example, information on social support, perceived barriers to service utilization, and attitudes toward the community and its resources are all relevant to performance monitoring and can be obtained from community surveys.

Performance monitoring provides an opportunity for a community to define and articulate expectations for organizations' contributions to the population's health. Although organizations might disagree with the appropriateness of the expectations, a useful dialogue may ensue. Communities may want to focus special attention on expectations regarding managed care organizations (MCOs) and the business sector. MCOs, for example, have generally defined "community" as their enrollees and not considered the entire community or public health as their area of concern. A community expectation that the health of the entire local population is part of an MCO's corporate and social responsibility could lead to their broader involvement in public health activities. Businesses, including MCOs, that have strong ties with a city or region may have a history of interest in local health issues. As corporations expand to multiple regions, however, they may require added encouragement to become involved and accountable in the local communities where they have a presence.

• Conclusions

Contributing to the interest in health improvement and performance monitoring is a wider recognition that health embraces well-being as well as the absence of illness. For both individuals and populations, health can be seen to depend not only on medical care but also on other factors, including individual behavior and genetic makeup, and social and economic conditions for individuals and communities. The field model, as described by Evans and Stoddart (1994), presents these multiple determinants of health in a dynamic relationship. The model's feedback loops link social environment, physical environment, genetic endowment, an individual's behavioral and biologic responses, health care, disease, health and function, well-being, and prosperity. The committee found this model to be an effective basis for its work.

This multidimensional perspective reinforces the value of public health's traditional emphasis on a population-based approach to health issues. It also provides a basis for looking to segments of the community beyond those traditionally associated with health to address factors affecting health and well-being. Some of the additional parties who can be brought to the table as interested stakeholders and accountable partners include, among many others, schools, employers, community-based organizations, the media, foundations, and public safety agencies. A performance monitoring program can promote the articulation of roles and responsibilities among these participants.

The committee has concluded that entities engaged in performance monitoring for community health improvement should

• adopt a broad definition of health;
• adopt a comprehensive and conceptual model of the way in which health is produced within the community; the field model, as elaborated by Evans and Stoddart, is a good starting point; and
• develop a concrete and specific hypothesis of how the multiple sectors of the community and individual stakeholders in each sector can contribute to the solution of a health problem.

In addition, federal agencies and foundations should provide support for further research on the determinants of health to clarify pathways, to develop reliable and valid measures useful for performance monitoring related to these pathways, and to identify community programs and clinical and public health interventions that are successful in addressing the underlying causes of ill health in communities.

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The workshop discussion was based on a presentation by Jonathan Fielding.

• Cite this Page Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Using Performance Monitoring to Improve Community Health; Durch JS, Bailey LA, Stoto MA, editors. Improving Health in the Community: A Role for Performance Monitoring. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1997. 2, Understanding Health and Its Determinants.
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Essays About Health: Top 5 Examples and 7 Prompts

Almost everyone would agree that health is the most important thing in life. Check out our guide on writing essays about health.

The concept of health is simple. It is the condition where you are well and free from disease or illness. When we are healthy, we are happier, more productive, and able to live a full life. There are many types of health, each helping us to survive and excel in different areas of our life, including physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health.

In the same ways, there are different ways to stay healthy, such as exercise, socialization, and self-care. These areas of health may not all be equally important, but each of them plays a vital role in making us the best versions of ourselves we can be. You might also find our medical words list helpful.

5 Top Essay Examples

1. essay on how to keep healthy by diwakar sharma, 2. what it’s like living with depression: a personal essay by nadine dirks, 3. the advantages of eating healthy food by lindsay boyers.

• 4.  A Helping Hand: An Essay On The Importance Of Mental Health Parity by Sydney Waltner

5. ​​Stop Trying to be Happy: Improving Your Emotional Health by Jacquelynn Lyon

7 prompts for essays about health, 1. what is the most important type of health, 2. do television and video games negatively impact mental , 3. freedom and public health, 4. how can you live a healthier life, 5. what causes depression, 6. mental health and eating disorders, 7. is “spiritual health” really necessary.

“I think there is no use in earning money in such a way that denies our health. Money is not important than health as it cannot return health and fitness back once we are ill. Thus health is always preferred over money as good health keeps us happy and free from various health issues. If we are healthy we can earn whole life but can’t earn if the health gets deteriorated.”

Sharma discusses the importance of health and ways to stay healthy, including eating nutritious food, drinking water, keeping a good sleep schedule, and exercising. In addition, he notes that it is essential to prioritize your health; do not work too hard or chase money to the extent that it affects your health negatively. You can also check out these articles about cancer .

“I was pleasantly surprised when—after around three weeks—I started feeling results. My intense feeling of overwhelming sadness and hopelessness slowly started to lift and the fears I had about not feeling like myself dissipated. I had worried I would feel less like myself on fluoxetine, but instead for the first time, in a long time—I felt more like myself and able to function throughout the day. Receiving treatment and building healthy coping mechanisms has allowed me to continue to function, even when a depressive episode hits.”

Depression is one of the first things people think of concerning mental health. In her essay, Dirks reflects on her experiences with depression, recalling her feelings of hopelessness and sadness, putting her in a dull, lethargic mood. However, she got help by going to a doctor and starting medication and therapy. Dirks also lists down a few symptoms of depression, warning readers to get help if they are experiencing a number of them.

“A healthful diet is just as good for your brain as the rest of your body. Unhealthy foods are linked to a range of neurological problems. Certain nutrient deficiencies increasing the risk of depression. Other nutrients, like potassium, actually involved in brain cell function. A varied, healthful diet keeps your brain functioning properly, and it can promote good mental health as well.”

Boyers discusses some benefits of healthy eating, such as weight control, reduced risk of diabetes and cancer, and better brain function- an unhealthy diet is linked to neurological problems. She gives readers tips on what they should and should not eat in huge quantities, saying to avoid sugary foods and drinks while eating lean meat, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. You might also be interested in these essays about nursing and essays about obesity .

4.   A Helping Hand: An Essay On The Importance Of Mental Health Parity by Sydney Waltner

“For three years I was one of those people hiding my illness. I was quietly suffering from depression and an eating disorder. My whole day revolved around my eating disorder and hiding it from everyone. This caused a lot of sadness, anger, and loneliness. I not only hid it from others, but I also tried to hide it from myself. I tried to convince myself that nothing was wrong because I did not fully understand what was happening.  I did not know what was making me hurt myself and why I could not stop.”

Waltner writes her essay about the importance of mental health and how it can also affect one’s physical health. She recalls her experiences with hiding her depression and eating disorder; they led to her immense suffering, but her parents discovered her illness before it was too late. She is grateful for how her life is now and encourages others to break the stigma around mental health issues and speak up if something is wrong with them. 

“Beautiful people, smart people, funny people, leaders, lawyers, engineers, professional clowns, everyone you’ve ever looked up to — they have suffered in their lives, and probably will continue to suffer at some point.”

The obsession with making yourself happy will forever have you either not valuing the present or will lead to despair when you do find it — and it’s still not enough. This cycle of self-abuse, dissatisfaction, and emotional isolation can paralyze us, hinder our actions, and mar our self-perception.

Lyon reflects on something she discovered in her first year of college: that it’s fine if you’re not always happy. She says that society’s pressure for everyone to be positive and happy 100% of the time is detrimental to many people’s emotional and mental health. As a result, she gives readers tips on being happy in a “healthier” way: happiness should not be forced, and you should not constantly compare yourself to others. 

There are many types of health, each playing an essential role in helping us live well. If you were to pick one, which do you believe is the most important? You can choose mental well-being, physical well-being, or spiritual well-being. Use your personal experiences in defending your choice; be sure to support your stance with sufficient details. 

For a strong argumentative essay, write about the correlation between “screen time” or video games and television with mental health. Are they that bad for people’s mental health? Perhaps they are good for the mental health of some people. Research this topic and support your response with credible sources- there is no wrong answer as long as it is well-defended. For an interesting piece, conduct interviews to gather information.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many argue that some freedoms must be given up for the greater good. These include mask mandates, vaccine mandates, and stay-at-home orders. Write about whether or not public health should be prioritized over “individual liberty” and why. If so, to what extent? Answer this question in your own words for a compelling argument.

Like many of our cited essay examples above, you can write your essay on how to stay healthy. Give your readers some mental, physical, or social guidelines for being healthier, and explain why they are important. You can even do a more well-rounded guide; give a few tips for each type of health if you wish. 

As stated previously, a prevalent health issue is depression, which can stem from various factors. Look into the different causes of depression and explain how they lead to depression. In this essay, you can share your research on social factors, economic factors, and health conditions that can make a person more susceptible to depression. As this is a medical-related topic, use credible sources for your research. 

Many believe there is a correlation between mental health and obesity, anorexia, and bulimia—research how mental health issues can cause these issues or vice versa, depending on what you find. In your essay, explain the link between mental health issues and eating disorders and how they can affect each other.

A type of health commonly listed is spiritual health, which many religious people value. Should it be classified as something different? Many believe the components of “spiritual health” already fall under mental, social, emotional, and social health, so there is no need to classify it as something different. Reflect on this issue and discuss your stance. 

For help with this topic, read our guide explaining “what is persuasive writing ?”

If you’re stuck picking an essay topic, check out our guide on how to write essays about depression .

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Healthy Lifestyle — What Does Health Mean to You

What Does Health Mean to You

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Physical well-being: the foundation of health, mental and emotional equilibrium, social connections and community, harmony between mind, body, and environment, in conclusion.

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How to build a better health system: 8 expert essays

We need to focus on keeping people healthy, not just treating them when they're sick Image:  REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri

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Introduction

By Francesca Colombo , Head, Health Division, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Helen E. Clark , Prime Minister of New Zealand (1999-2008), The Helen Clark Foundation

Our healthy future cannot be achieved without putting the health and wellbeing of populations at the centre of public policy.

Ill health worsens an individual’s economic prospects throughout the lifecycle. For young infants and children, ill health affects their capacity to acumulate human capital; for adults, ill health lowers quality of life and labour market outcomes, and disadvantage compounds over the course of a lifetime.

And, yet, with all the robust evidence available that good health is beneficial to economies and societies, it is striking to see how health systems across the globe struggled to maximise the health of populations even before the COVID-19 pandemic – a crisis that has further exposed the stresses and weaknesses of our health systems. These must be addressed to make populations healthier and more resilient to future shocks.

Each one of us, at least once in our lives, is likely to have been frustrated with care that was inflexible, impersonal and bureaucratic. At the system level, these individual experiences add up to poor safety, poor care coordination and inefficiencies – costing millions of lives and enormous expense to societies.

This state of affairs contributes to slowing down the progress towards achieving the sustainable development goals to which all societies, regardless of their level of economic development, have committed.

Many of the conditions that can make change possible are in place. For example, ample evidence exists that investing in public health and primary prevention delivers significant health and economic dividends. Likewise, digital technology has made many services and products across different sectors safe, fast and seamless. There is no reason why, with the right policies, this should not happen in health systems as well. Think, for example, of the opportunities to bring high quality and specialised care to previously underserved populations. COVID-19 has accelerated the development and use of digital health technologies. There are opportunities to further nurture their use to improve public health and disease surveillance, clinical care, research and innovation.

To encourage reform towards health systems that are more resilient, better centred around what people need and sustainable over time, the Global Future Council on Health and Health Care has developed a series of stories illustrating why change must happen, and why this is eminently possible today. While the COVID-19 crisis is severally challenging health systems today, our healthy future is – with the right investments – within reach.

1. Five changes for sustainable health systems that put people first

The COVID-19 crisis has affected more than 188 countries and regions worldwide, causing large-scale loss of life and severe human suffering. The crisis poses a major threat to the global economy, with drops in activity, employment, and consumption worse than those seen during the 2008 financial crisis . COVID-19 has also exposed weaknesses in our health systems that must be addressed. How?

For a start, greater investment in population health would make people, particularly vulnerable population groups, more resilient to health risks. The health and socio-economic consequences of the virus are felt more acutely among disadvantaged populations, stretching a social fabric already challenged by high levels of inequalities. The crisis demonstrates the consequences of poor investment in addressing wider social determinants of health, including poverty, low education and unhealthy lifestyles. Despite much talk of the importance of health promotion, even across the richer OECD countries barely 3% of total health spending is devoted to prevention . Building resilience for populations also requires a greater focus on solidarity and redistribution in social protection systems to address underlying structural inequalities and poverty.

Beyond creating greater resilience in populations, health systems must be strengthened.

High-quality universal health coverage (UHC) is paramount. High levels of household out-of-pocket payments for health goods and services deter people from seeking early diagnosis and treatment at the very moment they need it most. Facing the COVID-19 crisis, many countries have strengthened access to health care, including coverage for diagnostic testing. Yet others do not have strong UHC arrangements. The pandemic reinforced the importance of commitments made in international fora, such as the 2019 High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage , that well-functioning health systems require a deliberate focus on high-quality UHC. Such systems protect people from health threats, impoverishing health spending, and unexpected surges in demand for care.

Second, primary and elder care must be reinforced. COVID-19 presents a double threat for people with chronic conditions. Not only are they at greater risk of severe complications and death due to COVID-19; but also the crisis creates unintended health harm if they forgo usual care, whether because of disruption in services, fear of infections, or worries about burdening the health system. Strong primary health care maintains care continuity for these groups. With some 94% of deaths caused by COVID-19 among people aged over 60 in high-income countries, the elder care sector is also particularly vulnerable, calling for efforts to enhance control of infections, support and protect care workers and better coordinate medical and social care for frail elderly.

Third, the crisis demonstrates the importance of equipping health systems with both reserve capacity and agility. There is an historic underinvestment in the health workforce, with estimated global shortages of 18 million health professionals worldwide , mostly in low- and middle-income countries. Beyond sheer numbers, rigid health labour markets make it difficult to respond rapidly to demand and supply shocks. One way to address this is by creating a “reserve army” of health professionals that can be quickly mobilised. Some countries have allowed medical students in their last year of training to start working immediately, fast-tracked licenses and provided exceptional training. Others have mobilised pharmacists and care assistants. Storing a reserve capacity of supplies such as personal protection equipment, and maintaining care beds that can be quickly transformed into critical care beds, is similarly important.

Fourth, stronger health data systems are needed. The crisis has accelerated innovative digital solutions and uses of digital data, smartphone applications to monitor quarantine, robotic devices, and artificial intelligence to track the virus and predict where it may appear next. Access to telemedicine has been made easier. Yet more can be done to leverage standardised national electronic health records to extract routine data for real-time disease surveillance, clinical trials, and health system management. Barriers to full deployment of telemedicine, the lack of real-time data, of interoperable clinical record data, of data linkage capability and sharing within health and with other sectors remain to be addressed.

Fifth, an effective vaccine and successful vaccination of populations around the globe will provide the only real exit strategy. Success is not guaranteed and there are many policy issues yet to be resolved. International cooperation is vital. Multilateral commitments to pay for successful candidates would give manufacturers certainty so that they can scale production and have vaccine doses ready as quickly as possible following marketing authorisation, but could also help ensure that vaccines go first to where they are most effective in ending the pandemic. Whilst leaders face political pressure to put the health of their citizens first, it is more effective to allocate vaccines based on need. More support is needed for multilateral access mechanisms that contain licensing commitments and ensure that intellectual property is no barrier to access, commitments to technology transfer for local production, and allocation of scarce doses based on need.

The pandemic offers huge opportunities to learn lessons for health system preparedness and resilience. Greater focus on anticipating responses, solidarity within and across countries, agility in managing responses, and renewed efforts for collaborative actions will be a better normal for the future.

OECD Economic Outlook 2020 , Volume 2020 Issue 1, No. 107, OECD Publishing, Paris

OECD Employment Outlook 2020 : Worker Security and the COVID-19 Crisis, OECD Publishing, Paris

OECD Health at a Glance 2019, OECD Publishing, Paris

https://www.un.org/pga/73/wp-content/uploads/sites/53/2019/07/FINAL-draft-UHC-Political-Declaration.pdf

OECD (2020), Who Cares? Attracting and Retaining Care Workers for the Elderly, OECD Health Policy Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris

Working for Health and Growth: investing in the health workforce . Report of the High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth, Geneva.

Colombo F., Oderkirk J., Slawomirski L. (2020) Health Information Systems, Electronic Medical Records, and Big Data in Global Healthcare: Progress and Challenges in OECD Countries . In: Haring R., Kickbusch I., Ganten D., Moeti M. (eds) Handbook of Global Health. Springer, Cham.

2. Improving population health and building healthy societies in times of COVID-19

By Helena Legido-Quigley , Associate Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a stark reminder of the fragility of population health worldwide; at time of writing, more than 1 million people have died from the disease. The pandemic has already made evident that those suffering most from COVID-19 belong to disadvantaged populations and marginalised communities. Deep-rooted inequalities have contributed adversely to the health status of different populations within and between countries. Besides the direct and indirect health impacts of COVID-19 and the decimation of health systems, restrictions on population movement and lockdowns introduced to combat the pandemic are expected to have economic and social consequences on an unprecedented scale .

Population health – and addressing the consequences of COVID-19 – is about improving the physical and mental health outcomes and wellbeing of populations locally, regionally and nationally, while reducing health inequalities.¹ Moreover, there is an increasing recognition that societal and environmental factors, such as climate change and food insecurity, can also influence population health outcomes.

The experiences of Maria, David, and Ruben – as told by Spanish public broadcaster RTVE – exemplify the real challenges that people living in densely populated urban areas have faced when being exposed to COVID-19.¹

Maria is a Mexican migrant who has just returned from Connecticut to the Bronx. Her partner Jorge died in Connecticut from COVID-19. She now has no income and is looking for an apartment for herself and her three children. When Jorge became ill, she took him to the hospital, but they would not admit him and he was sent away to be cared for by Maria at home with their children. When an ambulance eventually took him to hospital, it was too late. He died that same night, alone in hospital. She thinks he had diabetes, but he was never diagnosed. They only had enough income to pay the basic bills. Maria is depressed, she is alone, but she knows she must carry on for her children. Her 10-year old child says that if he could help her, he would work. After three months, she finds an apartment.

David works as a hairdresser and takes an overcrowded train every day from Leganés to Chamberi in the centre of Madrid. He lives in a small flat in San Nicasio, one of the poorest working-class areas of Madrid with one of the largest ageing populations in Spain. The apartments are very small, making it difficult to be in confinement, and all of David’s neighbours know somebody who has been a victim of COVID-19. His father was also a hairdresser. David's father was not feeling well; he was taken to hospital by ambulance, and he died three days later. David was not able to say goodbye to his father. Unemployment has increased in that area; small local shops are losing their customers, and many more people are expecting to lose their jobs.

Ruben lives in Iztapalapa in Mexico City with three children, a daughter-in-law and five grandchildren. Their small apartment has few amenities, and no running water during the evening. At three o’clock every morning, he walks 45 minutes with his mobile stall to sell fruit juices near the hospital. His daily earnings keep the family. He goes to the central market to buy fruit, taking a packed dirty bus. He thinks the city's central market was contaminated at the beginning of the pandemic, but it could not be closed as it is the main source of food in the country. He has no health insurance, and he knows that as a diabetic he is at risk, but medication for his condition is too expensive. He has no alternative but to go to work every day: "We die of hunger or we die of COVID."

These real stories highlight the issues that must be addressed to reduce persistent health inequalities and achieve health outcomes focusing on population health. The examples of Maria, David and Ruben show the terrible outcomes COVID-19 has had for people living in poverty and social deprivation, older people, and those with co-morbidities and/or pre-existing health conditions. All three live in densely populated urban areas with poor housing, and have to travel long distances in overcrowded transport. Maria’s loss of income has had consequences for her housing security and access to healthcare and health insurance, which will most likely lead to worse health conditions for her and her children. Furthermore, all three experienced high levels of stress, which is magnified in the cases of Maria and David who were unable to be present when their loved ones died.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it evident that to improve the health of the population and build healthy societies, there is a need to shift the focus from illness to health and wellness in order to address the social, political and commercial determinants of health; to promote healthy behaviours and lifestyles; and to foster universal health coverage.² Citizens all over the world are demanding that health systems be strengthened and for governments to protect the most vulnerable. A better future could be possible with leadership that is able to carefully consider the long-term health, economic and social policies that are needed.

In order to design and implement population health-friendly policies, there are three prerequisites. First, there is a need to improve understanding of the factors that influence health inequalities and the interconnections between the economic, social and health impacts. Second, broader policies should be considered not only within the health sector, but also in other sectors such as education, employment, transport and infrastructure, agriculture, water and sanitation. Third, the proposed policies need to be designed through involving the community, addressing the health of vulnerable groups, and fostering inter-sectoral action and partnerships.

Finally, within the UN's Agenda 2030 , Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 sets out a forward-looking strategy for health whose main goal is to attain healthier lives and wellbeing. The 17 interdependent SDGs offer an opportunity to contribute to healthier, fairer and more equitable societies from which both communities and the environment can benefit.

The stories of Maria, David and Ruben are real stories featured in the Documentary: The impact of COVID19 in urban outskirts, Directed by Jose A Guardiola. Available here. Permission has been granted to narrate these stories.

Buck, D., Baylis, A., Dougall, D. and Robertson, R. (2018). A vision for population health: Towards a healthier future . [online] London: The King's Fund. [Accessed 20 Sept. 2020]

Wilton Park. (2020). Healthy societies, healthy populations (WP1734). Wiston House, Steyning. Retrieved from https://www.wiltonpark.org.uk/event/wp1734/ Cohen B. E. (2006). Population health as a framework for public health practice: a Canadian perspective. American journal of public health , 96 (9), 1574–1576.

3. Imagine a 'well-care' system that invests in keeping people healthy

By Maliha Hashmi , Executive Director, Health and Well-Being and Biotech, NEOM, and Jan Kimpen , Global Chief Medical Officer, Philips

Imagine a patient named Emily. Emily is aged 32 and I’m her doctor.

Emily was 65lb (29kg) above her ideal body weight, pre-diabetic and had high cholesterol. My initial visit with Emily was taken up with counselling on lifestyle changes, mainly diet and exercise; typical advice from one’s doctor in a time-pressured 15-minute visit. I had no other additional resources, incentives or systems to support me or Emily to help her turn her lifestyle around.

I saw Emily eight months later, not in my office, but in the hospital emergency room. Her husband accompanied her – she was vomiting, very weak and confused. She was admitted to the intensive care unit, connected to an insulin drip to lower her blood sugar, and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I talked to Emily then, emphasizing that the new medications for diabetes would only control the sugars, but she still had time to reverse things if she changed her lifestyle. She received further counselling from a nutritionist.

Over the years, Emily continued to gain weight, necessitating higher doses of her diabetes medication. More emergency room visits for high blood sugars ensued, she developed infections of her skin and feet, and ultimately, she developed kidney disease because of the uncontrolled diabetes. Ten years after I met Emily, she is 78lb (35kg) above her ideal body weight; she is blind and cannot feel her feet due to nerve damage from the high blood sugars; and she will soon need dialysis for her failing kidneys. Emily’s deteriorating health has carried a high financial cost both for herself and the healthcare system. We have prevented her from dying and extended her life with our interventions, but each interaction with the medical system has come at significant cost – and those costs will only rise. But we have also failed Emily by allowing her diabetes to progress. We know how to prevent this, but neither the right investments nor incentives are in place.

Emily could have been a real patient of mine. Her sad story will be familiar to all doctors caring for chronically ill patients. Unfortunately, patients like Emily are neglected by health systems across the world today. The burden of chronic disease is increasing at alarming rates. Across the OECD nearly 33% of those over 15 years live with one or more chronic condition, rising to 60% for over-65s. Approximately 50% of chronic disease deaths are attributed to cardiovascular disease (CVD). In the coming decades, obesity, will claim 92 million lives in the OECD while obesity-related diseases will cut life expectancy by three years by 2050.

These diseases can be largely prevented by primary prevention, an approach that emphasizes vaccinations, lifestyle behaviour modification and the regulation of unhealthy substances. Preventative interventions have been efficacious. For obesity, countries have effectively employed public awareness campaigns, health professionals training, and encouragement of dietary change (for example, limits on unhealthy foods, taxes and nutrition labelling).⁴,⁵ Other interventions, such as workplace health-promotion programmes, while showing some promise, still need to demonstrate their efficacy.

The COVID-19 crisis provides the ultimate incentive to double down on the prevention of chronic disease. Most people dying from COVID-19 have one or more chronic disease, including obesity, CVD, diabetes or respiratory problems – diseases that are preventable with a healthy lifestyle. COVID-19 has highlighted structural weaknesses in our health systems such as the neglect of prevention and primary care.

While the utility of primary prevention is understood and supported by a growing evidence base, its implementation has been thwarted by chronic underinvestment, indicating a lack of societal and governmental prioritization. On average, OECD countries only invest 2.8% of health spending on public health and prevention. The underlying drivers include decreased allocation to prevention research, lack of awareness in populations, the belief that long-run prevention may be more costly than treatment, and a lack of commitment by and incentives for healthcare professionals. Furthermore, public health is often viewed in a silo separate from the overall health system rather than a foundational component.

Health benefits aside, increasing investment in primary prevention presents a strong economic imperative. For example, obesity contributes to the treatment costs of many other diseases: 70% of diabetes costs, 23% for CVD and 9% for cancers. Economic losses further extend to absenteeism and decreased productivity.

Fee-for-service models that remunerate physicians based on the number of sick patients they see, regardless the quality and outcome, dominate healthcare systems worldwide. Primary prevention mandates a payment system that reimburses healthcare professionals and patients for preventive actions. Ministries of health and governmental leaders need to challenge skepticism around preventive interventions, realign incentives towards preventive actions and those that promote healthy choices by people. Primary prevention will eventually reduce the burden of chronic diseases on the healthcare system.

As I reflect back on Emily and her life, I wonder what our healthcare system could have done differently. What if our healthcare system was a well-care system instead of a sick-care system? Imagine a different scenario: Emily, a 32 year old pre-diabetic, had access to a nutritionist, an exercise coach or health coach and nurse who followed her closely at the time of her first visit with me. Imagine if Emily joined group exercise classes, learned where to find healthy foods and how to cook them, and had access to spaces in which to exercise and be active. Imagine Emily being better educated about her diabetes and empowered in her healthcare and staying healthy. In reality, it is much more complicated than this, but if our healthcare systems began to incentivize and invest in prevention and even rewarded Emily for weight loss and healthy behavioural changes, the outcome might have been different. Imagine Emily losing weight and continuing to be an active and contributing member of society. Imagine if we invested in keeping people healthy rather than waiting for people to get sick, and then treating them. Imagine a well-care system.

Anderson, G. (2011). Responding to the growing cost and prevalence of people with multiple chronic conditions . Retrieved from OECD.

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. GBD Data Visualizations. Retrieved here.

OECD (2019), The Heavy Burden of Obesity: The Economics of Prevention, OECD Health Policy Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris.

OECD. (2017). Obesity Update . Retrieved here.

Malik, V. S., Willett, W. C., & Hu, F. B. (2013). Global obesity: trends, risk factors and policy implications. Nature Reviews Endocrinology , 9 (1), 13-27.

Lang, J., Cluff, L., Payne, J., Matson-Koffman, D., & Hampton, J. (2017). The centers for disease control and prevention: findings from the national healthy worksite program. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine , 59 (7), 631.

Gmeinder, M., Morgan, D., & Mueller, M. (2017). How much do OECD countries spend on prevention? Retrieved from OECD.

Jordan RE, Adab P, Cheng KK. Covid-19: risk factors for severe disease and death. BMJ. 2020;368:m1198.

Richardson, A. K. (2012). Investing in public health: barriers and possible solutions. Journal of Public Health , 34 (3), 322-327.

Yong, P. L., Saunders, R. S., & Olsen, L. (2010). Missed Prevention Opportunities The healthcare imperative: lowering costs and improving outcomes: workshop series summary (Vol. 852): National Academies Press Washington, DC.

OECD. (2019). The Heavy Burden of Obesity: The Economics of Prevention. Retrieved here .

McDaid, D., F. Sassi and S. Merkur (Eds.) (2015a), “Promoting Health, Preventing Disease: The Economic Case ”, Open University Press, New York.

OECD. (2019). The Heavy Burden of Obesity: The Economics of Prevention. Retrieved from OECD.

4. Why e arly detection and diagnosis is critical

By Paul Murray , Head of Life and Health Products, Swiss Re, and André Goy , Chairman and Executive Director & Chief of Lymphoma, John Theurer Cancer Center, Hackensack University Medical Center

Although healthcare systems around the world follow a common and simple principle and goal – that is, access to affordable high-quality healthcare – they vary significantly, and it is becoming increasingly costly to provide this access, due to ageing populations, the increasing burden of chronic diseases and the price of new innovations.

Governments are challenged by how best to provide care to their populations and make their systems sustainable. Neither universal health, single payer systems, hybrid systems, nor the variety of systems used throughout the US have yet provided a solution. However, systems that are ranked higher in numerous studies, such as a 2017 report by the Commonwealth Fund , typically include strong prevention care and early-detection programmes. This alone does not guarantee a good outcome as measured by either high or healthy life expectancy. But there should be no doubt that prevention and early detection can contribute to a more sustainable system by reducing the risk of serious diseases or disorders, and that investing in and operationalizing earlier detection and diagnosis of key conditions can lead to better patient outcomes and lower long-term costs.

To discuss early detection in a constructive manner it makes sense to describe its activities and scope. Early detection includes pre-symptomatic screening and treatment immediately or shortly after first symptoms are diagnosed. Programmes may include searching for a specific disease (for example, HIV/AIDS or breast cancer), or be more ubiquitous. Prevention, which is not the focus of this blog, can be interpreted as any activities undertaken to avoid diseases, such as information programmes, education, immunization or health monitoring.

Expenditures for prevention and early detection vary by country and typically range between 1-5% of total health expenditures.¹ During the 2008 global financial crisis, many countries reduced preventive spending. In the past few years, however, a number of countries have introduced reforms to strengthen and promote prevention and early detection. Possibly the most prominent example in recent years was the introduction of the Affordable Care Act in the US, which placed a special focus on providing a wide range of preventive and screening services. It lists 63 distinct services that must be covered without any copayment, co-insurance or having to pay a deductible.

Whilst logic dictates that investment in early detection should be encouraged, there are a few hurdles and challenges that need to be overcome and considered. We set out a few key criteria and requirements for an efficient early detection program:

1. Accessibility The healthcare system needs to provide access to a balanced distribution of physicians, both geographically (such as accessibility in rural areas), and by specialty. Patients should be able to access the system promptly without excessive waiting times for diagnoses or elective treatments. This helps mitigate conditions or diseases that are already quite advanced or have been incubating for months or even years before a clinical diagnosis. Access to physicians varies significantly across the globe from below one to more than 60 physicians per 10,000 people.² One important innovation for mitigating access deficiencies is telehealth. This should give individuals easier access to health-related services, not only in cases of sickness but also to supplement primary care.

2. Early symptoms and initial diagnosis Inaccurate or delayed initial diagnoses present a risk to the health of patients, can lead to inappropriate or unnecessary testing and treatment, and represents a significant share of total health expenditures. A medical second opinion service, especially for serious medical diagnoses, which can occur remotely, can help improve healthcare outcomes. Moreover, studies show that early and correct diagnosis opens up a greater range of curative treatment options and can reduce costs (e.g. for colon cancer, stage-four treatment costs are a multiple of stage-one treatment costs).³

3. New technology New early detection technologies can improve the ability to identify symptoms and diseases early: i. Advances in medical monitoring devices and wearable health technology, such as ECG and blood pressure monitors and biosensors, enable patients to take control of their own health and physical condition. This is an important trend that is expected to positively contribute to early detection, for example in atrial fibrillation and Alzheimers’ disease. ii. Diagnostic tools, using new biomarkers such as liquid biopsies or volatile organic compounds, together with the implementation of machine learning, can play an increasing role in areas such as oncology or infectious diseases.⁴

4. Regulation and Intervention Government regulation and intervention will be necessary to set ranges of normality, to prohibit or discourage overdiagnosis and to reduce incentives for providers to overtreat patients or to follow patients' inappropriate requests. In some countries, such as the US, there has been some success through capitation models and value-based care. Governments might also need to intervene to de-risk the innovation paradigm, such that private providers of capital feel able to invest more in the development of new detection technologies, in addition to proven business models in novel therapeutics.

OECD Health Working Papers No. 101 "How much do OECD countries spend on prevention" , 2017

World Health Organization; Global Health Observatory (GHO) data; https://www.who.int/gho/health_workforce/physicians_density/en/

Saving lives, averting costs; A report for Cancer Research UK, by Incisive Health, September 2014

Liquid Biopsy: Market Drivers And Obstacles; by Divyaa Ravishankar, Frost & Sullivan, January 21, 2019

Liquid Biopsies Become Cheap and Easy with New Microfluidic Device; February 26, 2019

How America’s 5 Top Hospitals are Using Machine Learning Today; by Kumba Sennaar, February 19, 2019

5. The business case for private investment in healthcare for all

Pascal Fröhlicher, Primary Care Innovation Scholar, Harvard Medical School, and Ian Wijaya, Managing Director in Lazard’s Global Healthcare Group

Faith, a mother of two, has just lost another customer. Some households where she is employed to clean, in a small town in South Africa, have little understanding of her medical needs. As a type 2 diabetes patient, this Zimbabwean woman visits the public clinic regularly, sometimes on short notice. At her last visit, after spending hours in a queue, she was finally told that the doctor could not see her. To avoid losing another day of work, she went to the local general practitioner to get her script, paying more than three daily wages for consultation and medication. Sadly, this fictional person reflects a reality for many people in middle-income countries.

Achieving universal health coverage by 2030, a key UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), is at risk. The World Bank has identified a $176 billion funding gap , increasing every year due to the growing needs of an ageing population, with the health burden shifting towards non-communicable diseases (NCDs), now the major cause of death in emerging markets . Traditional sources of healthcare funding struggle to increase budgets sufficiently to cover this gap and only about 4% of private health care investments focus on diseases that primarily affect low- and middle-income countries.

In middle-income countries, private investors often focus on extending established businesses, including developing private hospital capacity, targeting consumers already benefiting from quality healthcare. As a result, an insufficient amount of private capital is invested in strengthening healthcare systems for everyone.

Why is this the case? We discussed with senior health executives investing in Lower and Middle Income Countries (LMIC) and the following reasons emerged:

• Small market size . Scaling innovations in healthcare requires dealing with country-specific regulatory frameworks and competing interest groups, resulting in high market entry cost.
• Talent . Several LMICs are losing nurses and doctors but also business and finance professionals to European and North American markets due to the lack of local opportunities and a significant difference in salaries.
• Untested business models with relatively low gross margins. Providing healthcare requires innovative business models where consumers’ willingness to pay often needs to be demonstrated over a significant period of time. Additionally, relatively low gross margins drive the need for scale to leverage administrative costs, which increases risk.
• Government Relations. The main buyer of health-related products and services is government; yet the relationship between public and private sectors often lacks trust, creating barriers to successful collaboration. Add to that significant political risk, as contracts can be cancelled by incoming administrations after elections. Many countries also lack comprehensive technology strategies to successfully manage technological innovation.
• Complexity of donor funding. A significant portion of healthcare is funded by private donors, whose priorities might not always be congruent with the health priorities of the government.

Notwithstanding these barriers, healthcare, specifically in middle-income settings, could present an attractive value proposition for private investors:

• Economic growth rates . A growing middle class is expanding the potential market for healthcare products and services.
• Alignment of incentives . A high ratio of out-of-pocket payments for healthcare services is often associated with low quality. However, innovative business models can turn out of pocket payments into the basis for a customer-centric value proposition, as the provider is required to compete for a share of disposable income.
• Emergence of National Health Insurance Schemes . South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and others are building national health insurance schemes, increasing a population’s ability to fund healthcare services and products .
• Increased prevalence of NCDs. Given the increasing incidence of chronic diseases and the potential of using technology to address these diseases, new business opportunities for private investment exist.

Based on the context above, several areas in healthcare delivery can present compelling opportunities for private companies.

• Aggregation of existing players.
• Leveraging primary care infrastructure. Retail companies can leverage their real estate, infrastructure and supply chains to deploy primary care services at greater scale than is currently the case.
• Telemedicine . Telecommunications providers can leverage their existing infrastructure and customer base to provide payment mechanisms and telehealth services at scale. As seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, investment in telemedicine can ensure that patients receive timely and continuous care in spite of restrictions and lockdowns.
• Cost effective diagnostics . Diagnostic tools operated by frontline workers and combined with the expertise of specialists can provide timely and efficient care.

To fully realize these opportunities, government must incentivise innovation, provide clear regulatory frameworks and, most importantly, ensure that health priorities are adequately addressed.

Venture capital and private equity firms as well as large international corporations can identify the most commercially viable solutions and scale them into new markets. The ubiquity of NCDs and the requirement to reduce costs globally provides innovators with the opportunity to scale their tested solutions from LMICs to higher income environments.

Successful investment exits in LMICs and other private sector success stories will attract more private capital. Governments that enable and support private investment in their healthcare systems would, with appropriate governance and guidance, generate benefits to their populations and economies. The economic value of healthy populations has been proven repeatedly , and in the face of COVID-19, private sector investment can promote innovation and the development of responsible, sustainable solutions.

Faith – the diabetic mother we introduced at the beginning of this article - could keep her client. As a stable patient, she could measure her glucose level at home and enter the results in an app on her phone, part of her monthly diabetes programme with the company that runs the health centre. She visits the nurse-led facility at the local taxi stand on her way to work when her app suggests it. The nurse in charge of the centre treats Faith efficiently, and, if necessary, communicates with a primary care physician or even a specialist through the telemedicine functionality of her electronic health system.

Improving LMIC health systems is not only a business opportunity, but a moral imperative for public and private leaders. With the appropriate technology and political will, this can become a reality.

6. How could COVID-19 change the way we pay for health services?

John E. Ataguba, Associate Professor and Director, University of Cape Town and Matthew Guilford, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Common Health

The emergence of the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2), causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has challenged both developing and developed countries.

Countries have approached the management of infections differently. Many people are curious to understand their health system’s performance on COVID-19, both at the national level and compared to international peers. Alongside limited resources for health, many developing countries may have weak health systems that can make it challenging to respond adequately to the pandemic.

Even before COVID-19, high rates of out-of-pocket spending on health meant that every year, 800 million people faced catastrophic healthcare costs ,100 million families were pushed into poverty, and millions more simply avoided care for critical conditions because they could not afford to pay for it.

The pandemic and its economic fallout have caused household incomes to decline at the same time as healthcare risks are rising. In some countries with insurance schemes, and especially for private health insurance, the following questions have arisen: How large is the co-payment for a COVID-19 test? If my doctor’s office is closed, will the telemedicine consultation be covered by my insurance? Will my coronavirus care be paid for regardless of how I contracted the virus? These and other doubts can prevent people from seeking medical care in some countries.

In Nigeria, like many other countries in Africa, the government bears the costs associated with testing and treating COVID-19 irrespective of the individual’s insurance status. In the public health sector, where COVID-19 cases are treated, health workers are paid monthly salaries while budgets are allocated to health facilities for other services. Hospitals continue to receive budget allocations to finance all health services including the management and treatment of COVID-19. That implies that funds allocated to address other health needs are reduced and that in turn could affect the availability and quality of health services.

Although health workers providing care for COVID-19 patients in isolation and treatment centres in Nigeria are paid salaries that are augmented with a special incentive package, the degree of impact on the quality improvement of services remains unclear. The traditional and historical allocation of budgets does not always address the needs of the whole population and could result in poor health services and under-provision of health services for COVID-19 patients.

In some countries, the reliance on out-of-pocket funding is hardly better for private providers, who encounter brand risks, operational difficulties, and – in extreme cases – the risk of creating “debtor prisons” as they seek to collect payment from patients. Ironically, despite the huge demand for medical services to diagnose and treat COVID-19, large healthcare institutions and individual healthcare practitioners alike are facing financial distress.

Dependence on a steady stream of fee-for-service payments for outpatient consultations and elective procedures is leading to pay cuts for doctors in India , forfeited Eid bonuses for nurses in Indonesia , and hospital bankruptcies in the United States . In a recent McKinsey & Company survey, 77% of physicians reported that their business would suffer in 2020 , and 46% were concerned about their practice surviving the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID-19 is exposing how fee-for-service, historical budget allocation and out-of-pocket financing methods can hinder the performance of the health system. Some providers and health systems that deployed “value-based” models prior to the pandemic have reported that these approaches have improved financial resilience during COVID-19 and may support better results for patients. Nevertheless, these types of innovations do not represent the dominant payment model in any country.

How health service providers are paid has implications for whether service users can get needed health services in a timely fashion, and at an appropriate quality and an affordable cost. By shifting from fee-for-service reimbursements to fixed "capitation" and performance-based payments, these models incentivize providers to improve quality and coordination while also guaranteeing a baseline income level, even during times of disruption.

Health service providers could be paid either in the form of salaries, a fee for services they provide, by capitation (whether adjusted or straightforward), through global budgets, or by using a case-based payment system (for example, the diagnostics-related groups), among others. Because there are different incentives to consider when adopting any of the methods, they could be combined to achieve a specific goal. For example, in some countries, health workers are paid salaries , and some specific services are paid on a fee-for-service basis.

Ideally, health services could be purchased strategically , incorporating aspects of provider performance in transferring funds to providers and accounting for the health needs of the population they serve.

In this regard, strategic purchasing for health has been advocated and should be highlighted as crucial with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need to ensure value in the way health providers are paid, inter alia to increase efficiency, ensure equity, and improve access to needed health services. Value-based payment methods, although not new in many countries, provide an avenue to encourage long-term value for money, better quality, and strategic purchasing for health, helping to build a healthier, more resilient world.

7. L essons in integrated care from the COVID-19 pandemic

Sarah Ziegler, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Zurich, and Ninie Wang, Founder & CEO, Pinetree Care Group.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, people suffering non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have been at higher risk of becoming severely ill or dying. In Italy, 96.2% of people who died of COVID-19 lived with two or more chronic conditions.

Beyond the pandemic, cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and diabetes are the leading burden of disease, with 41 million annual deaths. People with multimorbidity - a number of different conditions - often experience difficulties in accessing timely and coordinated healthcare, made worse when health systems are busy fighting against the pandemic.

Here is what happened in China with Lee, aged 62, who has been living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) for the past five years.

Before the pandemic, Lee’s care manager coordinated a multi-disciplinary team of physicians, nurses, pulmonary rehabilitation therapists, psychologists and social workers to put together a personalized care plan for her. Following the care plan, Lee stopped smoking and paid special attention to her diet, sleep and physical exercises, as well as sticking to her medication and follow-up visits. She participated in a weekly community-based physical activity program to meet other COPD patients, including short walks and exchange experiences. A mobile care team supported her with weekly cleaning and grocery shopping.

Together with her family, Lee had follow-up visits to ensure her care plan reflected her recovery and to modify the plan if needed. These integrated care services brought pieces of care together, centered around Lee’s needs, and provided a continuum of care that helped keep Lee in the community with a good quality of life for as long as possible.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, such NCD services have been disrupted by lockdowns, the cancellation of elective care and the fear of visiting care service . These factors particularly affected people living with NCDs like Lee. As such, Lee was not able to follow her care plan anymore. The mobile care team was unable to visit her weekly as they were deployed to provide COVID-19 relief. Lee couldn’t participate in her community-based program, follow up on her daily activities, or see her family or psychologists. This negatively affected Lee’s COPD management and led to poor management of her physical activity and healthy diet.

The pandemic highlights the need for a flexible and reliable integrated care system to enable healthcare delivery to all people no matter where they live, uzilizing approaches such as telemedicine and effective triaging to overcome care disruptions.

Lee’s care manager created short videos to assist her family through each step of her care and called daily to check in on the implementation of the plan and answer questions. Lee received tele-consultations, and was invited to the weekly webcast series that supported COPD patient communities. When her uncle passed away because of pneumonia complications from COVID-19 in early April, Lee’s care manager arranged a palliative care provider to support the family through the difficult time of bereavement and provided food and supplies during quarantine. Lee could even continue with her physical activity program with an online training coach. There were a total of 38 exercise videos for strengthening and stretching arms, legs and trunk, which she could complete at different levels of difficulty and with different numbers of repetitions.

Lee’s case demonstrates that early detection, prevention, and management of NCDs play a crucial role in a global pandemic response. It shows how we need to shift away from health systems designed around single diseases towards health systems designed for the multidimensional needs of individuals. As part of the pandemic responses, addressing and managing risks related to NCDs and prevention of their complications are critical to improve outcomes for vulnerable people like Lee.

How to design and deliver successful integrated care

The challenge for the successful transformation of healthcare is to tailor care system-wide to population needs. A 2016 WHO Framework on integrated people-centered health services developed a set of five general strategies for countries to progress towards people-centered and sustainable health systems, calling for a fundamental transformation not only in the way health services are delivered, but also in the way they are financed and managed . These strategies call for countries to:

• Engage and empower people / communities: an integrated care system must mobilize everyone to work together using all available resources, especially when continuity of essential health and community services for NCDs are at risk of being undermined.
• Strengthen governance and accountability, so that integration emphasizes rather than weakens leadership in every part of the system, and ensure that NCDs are included in national COVID-19 plans and future essential health services.
• Reorient the model of care to put the needs and perspectives of each person / family at the center of care planning and outcome measurement, rather than institutions.
• Coordinate services within and across sectors, for example, integrate inter-disciplinary medical care with social care, addressing wider socio-economic, environmental and behavioral determinants of health.
• Create an enabling environment, with clear objectives, supportive financing, regulations and insurance coverage for integrated care, including the development and use of systemic digital health care solutions.

Whether due to an unexpected pandemic or a gradual increase in the burden of NCDs, each person could face many health threats across the life-course.

Only systems that dynamically assess each person’s complex health needs and address them through a timely, well-coordinated and tailored mix of health and social care services will be able to deliver desired health outcomes over the longer term, ensuring an uninterrupted good quality of life for Lee and many others like her.

• Wang B, Li R, Lu Z, Huang Y. Does comorbidity increase the risk of patients with COVID-19: evidence from meta-analysis. Aging (Albany NY) 2020;12: 6049–57.
• WHO. Noncommunicable diseases in emergencies. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2016.
• WHO. COVID-19 significantly impacts health services for noncommunicable diseases. June 2020.
• Kluge HHP, Wickramasinghe K, Rippin HL, et al. Prevention and control of non-communicalbe diseases in the COVID-19 response. The Lancet. 2020. 395:1678-1680
• WHO. Framework on integrated people-centred health services. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2016.

8 . Why access to healthcare alone will not save lives

Donald Berwick, President Emeritus and Senior Fellow, Institute for Healthcare Improvement; Nicola Bedlington, Special Adviser, European Patient Forum; and David Duong, Director, Program in Global Primary Care and Social Change, Harvard Medical School.

Joyce lies next to 10 other women in bare single beds in the post-partum recovery room at a rural hospital in Uganda. Just an hour ago, Joyce gave birth to a healthy baby boy. She is now struggling with abdominal pain. A nurse walks by, and Joyce tries to call out, but the nurse was too busy to attend to her; she was the only nurse looking after 20 patients.

Another hour passes, and Joyce is shaking and sweating profusely. Joyce’s husband runs into the corridor to find a nurse to come and evaluate her. The nurse notices Joyce’s critical condition - a high fever and a low blood pressure - and she quickly calls the doctor. The medical team rushes Joyce to the intensive care unit. Joyce has a very severe blood stream infection. It takes another hour before antibiotics are started - too late. Joyce dies, leaving behind a newborn son and a husband. Joyce, like many before her, falls victim to a pervasive global threat: poor quality of care.

Adopted by United Nations (UN) in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. SDG 3 aims to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all. The 2019 UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) reaffirmed the need for the highest level of political commitment to health care for all.

However, progress towards UHC, often measured in terms of access, not outcomes, does not guarantee better health, as we can see from Joyce’s tragedy. This is also evident with the COVID-19 response. The rapidly evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted long-term structural inefficiencies and inequities in health systems and societies trying to mitigate the contagion and loss of life.

Systems are straining under significant pressure to ensure standards of care for both COVID-19 patients and other patients that run the risk of not receiving timely and appropriate care. Although poor quality of care has been a long-standing issue, it is imperative now more than ever that systems implement high-quality services as part of their efforts toward UHC.

Poor quality healthcare remains a challenge for countries at all levels of economic development: 10% of hospitalized patients acquire an infection during their hospitalization in low-and-middle income countries (LMIC), whereas 7% do in high-income countries. Poor quality healthcare disproportionally affects the poor and those in LMICs. Of the approximately 8.6 million deaths per year in 137 LMICs, 3.6 million are people who did not access the health system, whereas 5 million are people who sought and had access to services but received poor-quality care.

Joyce’s story is all too familiar; poor quality of care results in deaths from treatable diseases and conditions. Although the causes of death are often multifactorial, deaths and increased morbidity from treatable conditions are often a reflection of defects in the quality of care.

The large number of deaths and avoidable complications are also accompanied by substantial economic costs. In 2015 alone, 130 LMICs faced US $6 trillion in economic losses. Although there is concern that implementing quality measures may be a costly endeavor, it is clear that the economic toll associated with a lack of quality of care is far more troublesome and further stunts the socio-economic development of LMICs, made apparent with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Poor-quality care not only leads to adverse outcomes in terms of high morbidity and mortality, but it also impacts patient experience and patient confidence in health systems. Less than one-quarter of people in LMICs and approximately half of people in high-income countries believe that their health systems work well.

A lack of application and availability of evidenced-based guidelines is one key driver of poor-quality care. The rapidly changing landscape of medical knowledge and guidelines requires healthcare workers to have immediate access to current clinical resources. Despite our "information age", health providers are not accessing clinical guidelines or do not have access to the latest practical, lifesaving information.

Getting information to health workers in the places where it is most needed is a delivery challenge. Indeed, adherence to clinical practice guidelines in eight LMICs was below 50%, and in OECD countries, despite being a part of national guidelines, 19-53% of women aged 50-69 years did not receive mammography screening.4 The evidence in LMICs and HICs suggest that application of evidence-based guidelines lead to reduction in mortality and improved health outcomes.

Equally, the failure to change and continually improve the processes in health systems that support the workforce takes a high toll on quality of care. During the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam, which adapted and improved their health systems after the SARS and H1N1 outbreaks, were able to rapidly mobilize a large-scale quarantine and contact tracing strategy, supported with effective and coordinated mass communication.

These countries not only mitigated the economic and mortality damage, but also prevented their health systems and workforce from enduring extreme burden and inability to maintain critical medical supplies. In all nations, investing in healthcare organizations to enable them to become true “learning health care systems,” aiming at continual quality improvement, would yield major population health and health system gains.

The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance for health systems to be learning systems. Once the dust settles, we need to focus, collectively, on learning from this experience and adapting our health systems to be more resilient for the next one. This implies a need for commitment to and investment in global health cooperation, improvement in health care leadership, and change management.

With strong political and financial commitment to UHC, and its demonstrable effect in addressing crises such as COVID-19, for the first time, the world has a viable chance of UHC becoming a reality. However, without an equally strong political, managerial, and financial commitment to continually improving, high-quality health services, UHC will remain an empty promise.

1. United Nations General Assembly. Political declaration of the high-level meeting on universal health coverage. New York, NY2019.

2. Marmot M, Allen J, Boyce T, Goldblatt P, Morrison J. Health equity in England: the Marmot review 10 years on. Institute of Health Equity;2020.

3. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: Committee on Improving the Quality of Health Care Globally. Crossing the global quality chasm: Improving health care worldwide. Washington, DC: National Academies Press;2018.

4. World Health Organization, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Bank Group. Delivering quality health services: a global imperative for universal health coverage. World Health Organization; 2018.

5. Kruk ME, Gage AD, Arsenault C, et al. High-quality health systems in the Sustainable Development Goals era: time for a revolution. The Lancet Global Health. 2018;6(11):e1196-e1252.

6. Ricci-Cabello I, Violán C, Foguet-Boreu Q, Mounce LT, Valderas JM. Impact of multi-morbidity on quality of healthcare and its implications for health policy, research and clinical practice. A scoping review. European Journal of General Practice. 2015;21(3):192-202.

7. Valtis YK, Rosenberg J, Bhandari S, et al. Evidence-based medicine for all: what we can learn from a programme providing free access to an online clinical resource to health workers in resource-limited settings. BMJ global health. 2016;1(1).

8. Institute of Medicine. Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America . Washington, DC: National Academies Press 2012.

Essay on Good Health And Well Being

Students are often asked to write an essay on Good Health And Well Being in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Good Health And Well Being

Importance of good health.

Good health is like a treasure. When we are healthy, we can play, learn, and enjoy life. It means our body is working well, and we feel good. To stay healthy, eating fruits and vegetables, drinking water, and sleeping enough is important.

Exercise for Fitness

Moving our bodies makes us strong and fit. Playing sports, dancing, or even walking are great exercises. They keep our heart healthy and muscles strong. Exercise also makes us feel happy by releasing special chemicals in our brain.

Mental Health Matters

Being healthy is not just about the body but also the mind. Talking about feelings, being kind, and having fun with friends keep our mind healthy. It’s important to relax and not worry too much.

Preventing Sickness

Staying away from germs helps us not get sick. Washing hands, keeping clean, and getting vaccines are ways to fight germs. When we don’t feel well, seeing a doctor is a good idea to get better.

Good health and well-being make life better. Eating right, exercising, being happy, and staying germ-free are keys to staying healthy. Let’s take care of our health every day!

250 Words Essay on Good Health And Well Being

What is good health.

Good health means your body is working as it should, without any pain or illness. When you have good health, you can run, jump, play, and do all your school work without feeling tired or sick. It’s like a well-oiled machine that runs smoothly.

Why is Well Being Important?

Well being is about feeling happy and calm in your mind. It’s just as important as having a strong body. When your well being is taken care of, you can make friends, learn new things, and handle stress better.

Eating Right for Health

To stay healthy, you need to eat all kinds of foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy. Imagine your plate as a rainbow, with lots of different colors. Each color gives you different vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy.

Staying Active

Our bodies are made to move. Playing sports, dancing, or just walking your dog are great ways to stay active. When you move, your heart gets stronger and you can concentrate better in class.

Resting Well

Sleep is just as important as food and exercise. When you sleep, your body fixes any damage and gets ready for a new day. Try to get 8-10 hours of sleep each night.

Keeping a Happy Mind

Taking care of your feelings is part of well being. Talk to friends, write in a journal, or draw pictures to express yourself. This keeps your mind happy and healthy.

Good health and well being are about balancing eating right, staying active, resting well, and keeping a happy mind. When all these pieces fit together, you can play, learn, and grow every day.

500 Words Essay on Good Health And Well Being

Good health means your body is working as it should, without any pain or sickness. When you have good health, you can play, work, and learn better. Imagine a car that runs smoothly because all its parts are in top shape. Your body is just like that car. When all parts of your body are in good condition, you feel great and are ready to take on the world.

Why is Good Health Important?

Having good health is very important for everyone. It helps you grow strong and stay fit. When you are healthy, you can play with your friends, focus in class, and not miss school because you are sick. Your body and mind work better when you are healthy, which means you can solve problems easier and enjoy life more.

Eating Right

Eating right is like putting the best fuel in a car. Fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy products are all good for you. They give you the energy to run, think, and do all the things you love. Eating too much junk food is like putting sand in your car’s gas tank. It can make you feel tired and can lead to sickness.

Being active is another way to keep your body in good shape. Think of it as taking your car for a drive instead of leaving it in the garage all the time. When you run, play sports, or dance, you make your muscles stronger and your heart happy. Exercise can also make you feel happier because it releases chemicals in your brain that make you feel good.

Rest and Relaxation

Rest is just as important as being active. It’s like giving your car a break after a long trip. Sleeping well at night helps your body repair itself and get ready for the next day. Relaxing and taking breaks can also help your mind stay sharp and calm.

Staying Clean

Keeping your body clean is like keeping your car shiny and free of dirt. Bathing, brushing your teeth, and washing your hands can keep germs away. Germs are tiny bugs that can make you sick, so it’s important to stay clean to keep them at bay.

Seeing the Doctor

Going to the doctor is like taking your car for a check-up. The doctor makes sure everything is working right and can help prevent sickness or catch it early when it’s easier to treat. Getting vaccinated is one way doctors help protect you from serious illnesses.

Good health is not just about your body but also about your feelings and thoughts. Talking about your feelings, staying positive, and spending time with friends and family can keep your mind healthy. Just like your body, your mind needs to be taken care of to feel good.

Good health and well-being are like a treasure that helps you live a happy and full life. By eating right, staying active, getting enough rest, keeping clean, seeing the doctor, and taking care of your feelings, you can keep this treasure shining. Remember, taking care of your health is one of the most important things you can do every day!

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Good Health
• Essay on Good Habits And Bad Habits
• Essay on Good Governance And Social Responsibility

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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90+ Strong Health Essay Topics And How To Handle Them

Table of Contents

You can write about healthy lifestyle, rehabilitation after traumas, childcare, common or rare diseases, global advances in health and medicine, environmental health issues, and more.

How to deal with essay on health?

Your essay will be the most impressive if you choose a topic that is familiar to you or you can write about something you have experience with. It will be easier for you to do a health essay paper and build a convincing argument. Another approach is choosing a topic which is not familiar to you but in which you are interested in. It would be a great opportunity for you to educate yourself.

If you pick an interesting essay topic idea which is too broad to cover in your essay, you should do additional keyword research and look for some specific aspects of this topic to narrow it.

Keep in mind that you should look for a narrow topic which has enough available resources that you can use for researching it.

Before you start writing, make sure you have found enough evidence and examples to support your argument. A good idea is to create a working outline or a mind map for your essay that will guide your writing and help you stay focused on your key points.

First, create a strong thesis statement and think about several main points to support it.

If you are looking for health topics to write about and are not sure what to write about, here we have gathered a lot of exciting ideas that you won’t find on any other essay writing services.

Feel free to use them as inspiration own topic ideas or for writing your essays.

Health topics to write about

• How Can We Help Children Maintain a Healthy Body Weight?
• Ethical and Legal Issues of Surrogate Pregnancy.
• How Dangerous are Long-term Consequences of Anorexia?
• Principles of Preventing Medical Errors in Hospitals.
• How Can Doctors Promote Healthy Lifestyle?
• Why is Homeopathy a Pseudo-Science?
• What Are Side Effects of Blood Transfusion?
• Types of Eating Disorders.
• Can a Vegan Diet Be Healthy?
• The Best Strategies to Maintain Healthy Body Weight.
• Psychological Issues of Breast Cancer.
• Importance of Organ Donation after Death.
• Can Cloning Help Save Lives?
• Ethics in Human Experimentation.
• Symptoms of Heart Attacks in Women.
• Is It Possible to Cure Diabetes in the Future?

Interesting health topics to write about

• What is the Difference Between Western Medicine and Alternative Medicine?
• Health Consequences of Eating Disorders.
• Bioprinting as the Future of Organ Transplants.
• Use of Stem Cell Technologies for Cancer Treatment.
• Ethical and Social Issues of Cosmetic Surgery.
• How Does Advertising Influence Healthy Food Choices?
• Role of Nutrition Education in Promoting Healthy Diets.
• Fast Food Consumption and Obesity.
• How Can Exercise Help Senior Improve Strength and Balance?
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Weight Loss Surgery.
• Obesity as a Medical and Social Problem.
• Strategies for Heart Disease Prevention.
• How Long Can Humans Actually Live?
• Pros and Cons of Clinical Trials.
• Alternative Ways to Treat Depression.
• Is There a Cure for HIV or AIDS?

Controversial health essay topics

• Is There a Link Between Sugary Drinks and Cancer?
• Health Consequences of Caffeine.
• Can Little Kid Food Habits Signal Autism?
• Should Euthanasia Be Legalized?
• Pros and Cons of Medical Marijuana.
• Is Alternative Medicine Dangerous?
• Is Doing Sports always Healthy?
• Which Diet Is Better: Low-Fat or Low-Carb?
• Discuss Measures for Prevention of Communicable Diseases.
• Social Determinants That Influence People’s Well-being.
• Are Doctors Responsible for the Opioid Epidemic?
• Is Religion a Mental Disorder?
• Is Nuclear Waste Really Dangerous for People?
• Is a No-Carb Diet Safe?
• Are We Too Dependent on Antibiotics?
• Are Natural Medicines a Good Alternative to Pharmaceutical?
• Can Blockchain Help Improve the Trust in the Accuracy of Clinical Trials Data?

Mental health argumentative essay topics

• Influence of Environmental Factors on Mental Health.
• Drug Misuse and Mental Disorders.
• Social Effects of Mental Disorders.
• Alcohol Addiction and Psychiatric Disorders.
• Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment of Teen Depression.
• How to Protect Your Mental Health from Social Media Dangers.
• Effects of Social Isolation and Loneliness on Severe Mental Disorders.
• Negative Effects of Total Isolation on Physical and Mental Health.
• Mental Health Benefits Associated with Physical Activity.
• Association between Exercise and Mood.
• Mental Health Problems of Homeless People.
• Stress as a Risk Factor for Mental Disorders.
• Effect of Disposer to Violence on Mental Disorders.
• Common Mental Disorders in the USA.
• Depression and Anxiety Disorders among Adults.
• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders.
• Economic Burden of Depression and Anxiety Disorders.
• Influence of Anxiety Disorders on the Quality of Life.

Health care essay topics

• Advantages and Challenges of E-health Technology.
• Application of Big Data to the Medical Care System.
• Risk Connected with Untested Methods of Alternative Medicine.
• Controversial Issues in the US Medical Care System.
• Telemedicine and Other Disruptive Innovations in Health Care System.
• How Can We Achieve Health Equity?
• Impact of Racism on the Well-Being of the Nation.
• School-based Health Care and Educational Success of Children.
• Role of School-based Health Care in Preventing Dropout.
• What Can Be Done to Curb Rising Suicide Rates?
• Do Adults and Senior Still Need Vaccines?
• What Human Rights Issues Have an Impact on Public Health?
• What Measures Should Be Taken to Prevent Heat-related Deaths?
• Discuss Healthy Housing Standards.
• What Are Common Strategies for Prevention of Chronic Diseases?

Health essay topics for high school students

• Can Computers Displace Doctors?
• Can People Become Immortal?
• Can Happiness Cure Diseases?
• How to Prevent Teen Pregnancy?
• The Biggest Health Challenges Facing Youth.
• Importance of Balanced Diet for Teenagers.
• Does Being Healthy Make You Happy?
• Why Is Exercise Important to Teenagers?
• Why Is Obesity Becoming an Epidemic?
• How to Become a Healthy Person.
• Importance of Healthy Lifestyle for Teens.
• Negative Impact of Smoking Teenagers.
• How Does Stress Affect Teenagers?
• Why Do Teenagers Experiment with Drugs?
• How to Develop Healthy Eating Habits.

Need a health essay overnight? Here’s a deal! Buy argumentative essay help by choosing any topic from our list and handing it to our writers. Complete confidentiality and the brilliant result are guaranteed.

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Health Awareness Essay

Introduction.

When our children fall sick, we immediately call a doctor or rush to a nearby hospital. These children are lucky because they have ample means and resources to get themselves treated. Do you know that some unfortunate ones do not realise that they are ill and deny treatment? Here lies the importance of the health awareness essay, as it will help our kids to understand the issues that revolve around health.

Although we have an efficient healthcare system, it is disheartening to know that every citizen does not get access to it. People fail to comprehend health issues in them and eventually do not receive treatment on time. Through this short essay on health awareness, we can familiarise ourselves with such issues and see how we can create health awareness.

Related essay: World Health Day essay

Importance of Health Awareness

Even while we do not have any illness or injury, it is essential to do a thorough checkup to identify any serious problems in our health. Maintaining good health is important for all, which is emphasised in this health awareness essay.

Though we stress that health is wealth, not everyone pays much attention to it. A slight delay in treatment or simple carelessness could cost your life, and this is why people should have proper health awareness. The short essay on health awareness focuses on how we can prevent the issues of lack of treatment or healthcare facilities.

Some people do not know if they have any diseases, and they continue living in ignorance till their health situation turns severe. Hence, it is necessary that we educate them about different diseases, their symptoms and treatment options, as well as raise their awareness about health. In this way, they will be motivated to make the right decisions regarding their health.

Ways to Raise Health Awareness

As we have discussed the importance of health awareness in the previous section, we will now see how we can raise awareness of this topic through the short essay on health awareness. We might have come across many awareness days like World AIDS Day, World Polio Day, World Hepatitis Day etc., each year, which are aimed to promote health and call attention to various health problems. These awareness programmes impart a better understanding of several communicable diseases and how we can prevent them.

The health awareness essay also highlights the significance of making people realise the value of physical, mental and social health. While it is easy for us to discover physical health problems through symptoms, mental health awareness is often overlooked. Organising campaigns is an effective way to raise awareness among people. Through vaccination drives and by arranging workshops and seminars, we can reach people and inspire them to improve their lifestyles and habits for their good health.

The short essay on health awareness can be a learning tool for children to understand more about the topic. To discover more interesting essays from BYJU’S, keep an eye on our website.

Frequently Asked Questions on Health Awareness Essay

What is meant by health awareness.

In basic terms, health awareness is the knowledge regarding one’s health. It can be described as the awareness of various health problems, symptoms and treatment options.

What is the significance of the health awareness essay for children?

The health awareness essay will be useful for children to know about various health concerns and preventive measures, which will empower them to keep themselves healthy by following the right regime.

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Short Essay on Health [100, 200, 400 Words] With PDF

In today’s lesson, I will discuss how you can write short essays on Health within different word limits. All the essays will be written here with a simplistic approach for a better understanding of all students. 

Short Essay on Health in 100 Words

Health is an important aspect of one’s life. A person is considered healthy when he or she is free from illness or injury. Health can be categorised as physical health, mental health, emotional health, social health, et cetera. However, all these categories are interrelated.

While low physical activity can impact overall mental health, mental stress can adversely affect heart health and poor emotional health can deteriorate one’s quality of life. Being in good health enables a person to function optimally and live their life happily.

Some of the basic rules for maintaining good health include going to bed and waking up on time, exercising regularly, eating healthily and drinking at least eight glasses of water daily. 

Short Essay on Health in 200 Words

Health is one of the most important aspects of one’s life. One can be a billionaire but if he is not in good health, he can not enjoy the luxuries that money can buy. Thus, health is considered as the real wealth. Health can be categorised as physical health, mental health, emotional health, social health, et cetera.

However, all these categories are interrelated and impact each other. For example, not exercising regularly can make a person irritable and cause mental health problems, while chronic stress can lead to health diseases and diabetes. Poor emotional and psychological health can also make people withdrawn and impact their overall health. 

Being in good health enables a person to function optimally and live their life happily. When one feels healthy and is not troubled by pain or discomfort in the body, he can be more active, participate in various activities and be more present in the daily happenings. Being mentally in good health is also very important as suffering from anxiety, depression and other issues can severely deteriorate one’s quality of life.

One can easily improve his health by making some changes in his lifestyle. Some of the basic rules for maintaining good health include going to bed and waking up on time, exercising regularly, eating healthily and drinking a lot of water. 

Short Essay on Health in 400 Words

Health is a key aspect of one’s life. A person is considered healthy when he is free from all illness and injury and can conduct his life well. One can be a billionaire but if he is not in good health, he can not enjoy the luxuries that money can buy. Thus, health is considered as the real wealth and being in good health is very important. Health can be categorised as physical health, mental health, emotional health, social health, et cetera.

Everyone can be healthy but good health does not come without the necessary discipline and care. Going to bed and waking up on time, exercising regularly, avoiding junk food, eating healthily, drinking a lot of water and getting some sunlight are a few good habits that can improve one’s health. However, it cannot be achieved in a day. One needs to change their lifestyle and practice healthy habits daily. 

Sometimes, one’s external environment can also be the reason for their poor health. Living in shabby conditions, breathing in heavily polluted air, consuming unhygienic food and contaminated water can more often than not, result in bacterial, fungal and viral diseases. Hence, cleanliness is an important factor if one wants to be healthy. One should also take care of their diet and include greens and other nutritious food, limit their caffeine intake, stop smoking and drinking as well as follow the basic health protocols. 

Good health is necessary if one wants to achieve their goal in life. One cannot study well or work hard when they are not feeling at ease or are suffering from pain. Adopting a healthy lifestyle makes us healthy and boosts our energy as well as immunity. Thus, good health is the key to enjoying a good life. 

In this session above, I have mentioned everything that could be necessary to write short essays on Health. Through the simple words and sentences, I hope now you have understood the entire context. If you still have any doubts regarding this session, kindly let me know through some quick comments. If you want to read more such essays on various important topics, keep browsing our website. 

Join our Telegram channel to get the latest updates on our upcoming sessions. Thank you. 

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• Health is Wealth Essay

Importance of Working Towards Good Health

Health is God’s gift to us. Health refers to the physical and mental state of a human being. To stay healthy is not an option but a necessity to live a happy life. The basic laws of good health are related to the food we eat, the amount of physical exercise we do, our cleanliness, rest, and relaxation. A healthy person is normally more confident, self-assured, sociable, and energetic. A healthy person views things calmly, and without prejudice.

Introduction

“The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered "Man! Because he sacrifices his health to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.” This signifies that individuals don’t prioritise their mental health to earn money. Some even work 24 hours a day or seven days a week. 

However, you have the option to remain balanced. So, balance work and fitness daily. Always strive to keep a cheerful as well as a concentrated routine. It is necessary to plan ahead of time. In any case, one must maintain a good mental, bodily, and emotional state, and no professional or counsellor can assist you unless you desire to live. The will to live in the moment and make the most of it awakens the ideal strength within you, and you are the only one who can never let yourself fall apart. 

Importance of Maintaining Health

We live in a super-fast age. The Internet has shrunk the world dramatically and people are connected 24x7. Multitasking is the order of the day, as we struggle to fulfill our responsibilities for everyone in life. In this fight, we often forget to spare time for ourselves. The stress levels continue to build up until one day a major collapse may make us realize that in all this hectic activity, we have forgotten to take care of one important thing – our health.  

As we spend days shuttling between hospital and home, putting our body through one test after another, trying to find out what has gone wrong, we are forced to remember that ‘Health is indeed Wealth’.  

In earlier days, life was very simple. People worked for a stipulated time, often walked everywhere, ate more homemade food, did household chores, and enjoyed a healthy balance in life.  

Now people have cars and bikes to commute, so they walk less. With the demand for more working hours, people are awake till late at night and indulge in more junk food than home-cooked food. Modern equipment at home has reduced the labour work and increased dependency on this equipment.  People don’t have enough time to exercise or even get enough sunlight. Nowadays people are living very unhealthy lifestyles.  

Unhealthy living conditions have increased the contraction of people to various diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, hypertension, etc. This has alarming implications in the near future. So it is very important to focus on our health as much as we focus on our work. Moderation in food habits, daily exercise, and balanced work-life can surely make a big difference to our health and body. When a person stays mentally and physically fit, his actions and decisions are more practical and logical and hence he is more successful in life. Furthermore, good health has a direct impact on our personality.

It's crucial to consider how much self-control you have to keep a healthy lifestyle. Research reveals that changing one's behaviour and daily patterns are quite tough. According to the data, whether a person has a habit of smoking, drinking alcohol, doing drugs, or any other substance, it is extremely difficult to quit. A study found that 80% of smokers who tried to quit failed, with only 46% succeeding.

Importance of Good Health 

A healthy body has all the major components that help in the proper functioning of the body. The essential component is the state of physical health. Your life term extends when you maintain good physical fitness. If you are committed to exercising with a sensible diet, then you can develop a sense of well-being and can even prevent yourself from chronic illness, disability, and premature death.  

Some of the benefits of increased physical activity are as follows. 

It Improves Our Health  

1. It increases the efficiency of the heart and lungs. 

2. A good walk can reduce cholesterol levels.  

3. Good exercise increases muscle strength. 

4. It reduces blood pressure. 

5. It reduces the risk of major illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

Improved Sense of Well-being  

1. It helps in developing more energy. 

2. It reduces stress levels. 

3. Quality of sleep improves. 

4. It helps in developing the ability to cope with stress. 

5. It increases mental sharpness. 

Improved Appearances  

1. Weight loss contributes to a good physique.  

2. Toned muscles generate more energy. 

3. Improved posture enhances our appearance. 

Enhanced Social Life  

1. It improves self-image 

2. It increases opportunities to make new friends. 

3. It increases opportunities to share an activity with friends or family members. 

Increased Stamina  

1. Increased productivity. 

2. Increased physical capabilities. 

3. Less frequent injuries. 

4. Improved immunity to minor illnesses. 

Along with physical fitness, a good mental state is also essential for good health. Mental health means the emotional and psychological state of an individual. The best way to maintain good mental health is by staying positive and meditating. 

However, unlike a machine, the body needs rest at regular intervals. A minimum of six to seven hours of sleep is necessary for the body to function optimally. Drinking plenty of water and a balanced diet is also very important for your body.  If you violate the basic laws of good health, like working late hours, ignoring physical exercise, eating junk food, it will lead to various ailments like hypertension, heart attacks, and other deadly diseases. 

What is National Health Day? 

Every year on April 7th, World Health Day is celebrated. The World Health Organization (WHO) hosted the inaugural World Health Day on April 7, 1950, to draw the entire world’s attention to global health. 

Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) comes up with a new theme for public awareness, such as "Support Nurses and Midwives" in 2020. This supports the situation of COVID-19, where healthcare workers are saving lives day and night without worrying about their health.

The WHO also operates a global health promotion initiative to align equality so that individuals can take control of their lives, "every life matters," and consider their fitness. The government promotes numerous health policies, including food security, workplace quality, and health literacy, in schools, colleges, workplaces, and various community activities. 

Good Health for Children 

Children need to maintain good physical and mental health. With an increase in the pressure of studies and over-indulgence in modern gadgets, children are losing the most precious thing, which is health. These days, they barely play in the playgrounds, they are more inclined towards junk food and spend more time on the screen. These unhealthy activities are slowly sabotaging their health. Parents should concentrate on the physical and mental health of their children, and inculcate good habits for maintaining a healthy lifestyle from a tender age.   

Cleanliness also has a major role to play in maintaining good health. Taking a bath every day, washing hands before eating meals, brushing twice a day, changing clothes regularly, etc. are important habits to maintain good health.  

Society is witnessing gloomy faces as a result of children and their parents' excessive usage of a computer, mobile phone, and the Internet. They are constantly using these technological items, oblivious to the fact that they may harm their health. Teenagers are frequently discovered engrossed in their electronic devices, resulting in mishaps. 

The usage of electronic devices frequently results in anxiety and hostility. Excessive usage of these products has been linked to cancer, vision loss, weight gain, and insomnia. 

Emotional development is another crucial component that should not be disregarded because it determines whether or not a person is healthy. An emotionally healthy person should have a solid sense of logic, realisation, and a realistic outlook. 

Conclusion 

Health is Wealth because if we are not healthy then all our wealth, fame and power can bring no enjoyment. Keeping fit and healthy is indeed not an option but a necessity.  

FAQs on Health is Wealth Essay

1. Why is Health Considered as Wealth?

Health is wealth because it is one of God’s most precious gift to human beings. Good health refers to a balanced and healthy physical and mental state of an individual. If any individual is not healthy, wealth, fame, and power can bring no enjoyment. So health has more value than materialistic things.

2. When is World Health Day Celebrated?

World Health Day is celebrated on 7 th April to raise awareness about health and fitness.

3. How Can You Maintain Good Health?

You can maintain good health by following a balanced and healthy diet. Have a good lifestyle by balancing work and life. You should have a moderate physical fitness regime every day. Go for brisk walks regularly or do other forms of exercise. Also, meditate and be positive to take care of your mental health.

4. Who came up with the phrase "health is wealth"?

If a man begins to live a lifestyle without a plan or unhealthy manner, he will confront numerous difficulties. He'd be depressed on the inside, untidy and filthy on the outside, and emotionally unstable all the time. A person who lives an unhealthy lifestyle will wake up late at night and early in the morning. Not only would this affect their mental condition, but it would also poison their surroundings. 

There would be a lot of wrath and sadness, and they would have fits from time to time.

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Essay on Health is Wealth: 200, 300 and 400 Words

• Updated on  
• Mar 11, 2024

Essay on Health is Wealth: The saying “health is wealth” rings true for each individual. Material possessions lose their lustre when you are unwell. Good health allows you to experience life fully, with energy for work, relationships, and enjoyment. While money can buy medical care, it cannot buy true health. By prioritising healthy habits like balanced meals and exercise, you invest in your greatest asset – your well-being.

Table of Contents

• 1 Essay on Health is Wealth in 200 Words
• 2 Essay on Health is Wealth in 300 Words
• 3.1 Physical Well-Being
• 3.2 Mental Health
• 3.3 Economic success
• 3.4 Life Quality
• 4 11+ Quotes on Health and Well Being

Also Read: Essay on Best Friend

Essay on Health is Wealth in 200 Words

Health is beyond any doubt, one of the most valuable assets one can possess. In a world where material wealth and outside success matter, the phrase “health is wealth” holds a timeless significance. Apart from this, this phrase also reminds us that having good health is the foundation on which a fulfilling life is built. 

Speaking of the advantages of having good health, it allows us to enjoy life to the fullest. Without having a healthy mind and body the whole process becomes elusive. 

Moreover, success and productivity depend on being in excellent health. It enables people to achieve their goals, work productively, and give back to society. An unwell person frequently encounters obstacles that prevent them from realising their hopes and dreams.

Keeping one’s health is also an investment in the future. Regular exercise and a healthy diet are two preventative healthcare practices that can assist in avoiding the need for future, expensive medical treatments. It is important to take a responsible approach to protecting one’s general well-being as well as one’s financial wealth.

Finally,” health is wealth” emphasises the importance of well-being in our lives. It reminds us that the priceless gift of health cannot be replaced by any amount of material prosperity. One must put their health first and treasure it beyond everything else if one wants to live a truly wealthy and fulfilling life.

Also Read: Essay on Peacock

Essay on Health is Wealth in 300 Words

Health is riches, after all. This proverb, which emphasises the critical necessity of health in one’s life, is full of timeless wisdom. It is simple to ignore the priceless gem that good health represents in a world that is focused on material prosperity and material interests.

First and foremost, being healthy helps people to live happy and fruitful lives. It serves as the cornerstone on which all other accomplishments are constructed. When someone is in good health, they have the vigour, strength, and stamina to achieve their aspirations, objectives, and ambitions. Poor health, on the other hand, can be a formidable obstacle that restricts one’s potential and prospects.

Additionally, having good health results in a higher quality of life. Healthy people require fewer medical procedures and are less in pain and suffering. They can enjoy life’s simple pleasures like spending time with loved ones, going outside, and eating good food without worrying about their diet.

The state of one’s health is crucial to their mental well-being. Mental health and physical well-being are tightly related. An emotionally stable and resilient state of mind is frequently a byproduct of physical health. The importance of health in one’s entire well-being is further highlighted by the fact that poor health can result in stress, worry, and depression.

The economic effects of health are another important factor. People who are in good health tend to be more productive at work, which increases earnings and improves financial security. On the other hand, health issues can cause medical expenses and decreased earning potential, which can have a considerable influence on one’s financial security.

The term “health is wealth” embodies a profound truth, to sum it up. The most valuable asset a person can have is good health because it supports all other facets of life. It enables people to live fulfilling lives, pursue their aspirations, and maintain their mental and emotional health. As a result, we must give our health priority and make the necessary investments because it is the only type of wealth that will never be exceeded or replaced by worldly belongings.

Also Read: Essay on Health: Long and Short Essay Samples

Essay on Health is Wealth in 400 Words 

The proverb “Health is Wealth” maintains a special place in our lives. It emphasises how important good health is as the cornerstone of a successful and joyful life. The genuine meaning of riches is frequently missed in today’s fast-paced society when success is frequently gauged in monetary terms. This essay explores the deep significance of this adage and shows how true it is that the best asset anyone can have is their health.

Here are all the benefits one gets:

Physical Well-Being

Being physically healthy is the same as being in good health. Our bodies perform at their peak when we are healthy, enabling us to go about our daily lives with vigour and enthusiasm. A productive existence is built on a foundation of physical fitness. It makes it possible for us to work effectively, pursue our objectives, and fully appreciate life. Even the most plentiful wealth becomes meaningless in the absence of health.

Mental Health

 In addition to physical health, mental health is a critical element of our entire prosperity. Ageless wisdom is having a good mind and a healthy body. Our cognitive functioning, emotional stability, and resiliency in the face of difficulties are all influenced by our mental health. Material prosperity can become a cause of stress and unhappiness in the absence of mental wellness.

Economic success

Economic success is directly correlated with good health. People may actively participate in the workforce and make more money when they are healthy. Healthier populations are also less financially burdened by healthcare expenses, releasing funds for other basic requirements. As a result, investing in healthcare is an investment in the prosperity of a country.

Life Quality

The genuine wealth of life is found in its excellence. A person in good health can enjoy life’s joys, go on trips, engage in hobbies, and spend time with loved ones. No amount of money can replace the richness that these experiences bring to life. Healthy people are better able to live fulfilling and pleasurable lives.

To conclude, the motto “Health is Wealth” perfectly describes what a prosperous life entails. While having material possessions is necessary for comfort and security, how we use and enjoy our wealth is ultimately influenced by our health. Given that health is the foundation upon which all other types of wealth are formed, investing in it should be a top priority. One must understand that health is the ultimate treasure that neither money nor anything else can ever fully replace or imitate to truly understand its worth. Therefore, let us never lose sight of the fact that our health is the most priceless asset we have when pursuing success and happiness.

Also Read: Essay on Health and Fitness for Students

11+ Quotes on Health and Well Being

Here are popular quotes on health and well being:

• “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn
• “Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit.” – B.K.S. Iyengar (Yoga teacher)
• “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” – Benjamin Franklin (Polymath)
• “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates (Ancient Greek physician)
• “A sound mind in a sound body.” – Juvenal (Roman satirist)
• “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar (Motivational speaker)
• “Your body hears everything your mind says.” – Naomi Judd (Singer)
• “The first wealth is health.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson (American philosopher)
• “The groundwork for all happiness is health.” – Leigh Hunt (British writer)
• “To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise, we shall not be able to keep the mind strong and clear.” – Gautam Buddha (Spiritual leader)
• “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” – Oprah Winfrey (Talk show host)
• “Peace is the result, not of absence of conflict, but of the ability to handle it.” – Roosevelt (American President)

Explore other Essay topics for school students here:

Wealth and health are vital, but many people believe that health is ultimately more crucial. This is because it is challenging to gain from riches without being in excellent health.

A healthy person has an improved social life and a sound mental condition, which refers to a person’s emotional and psychological state and is just as important for health as physical fitness.

A person with poor mental health has a higher chance of chronic physical conditions. If you are physically fit and active, your neural functioning is enhanced which can be beneficial for your academic, social and personal environment.

We hope this blog provided you with all the information on health is wealth and the importance behind it etc. To discover more essay writing topics, then keep reading at Leverage Edu! 

Malvika Chawla

Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

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• Condition Center

I Blamed WFH For My Weight Changes and Mood. Then I Was Diagnosed With Cushing Disease.

Published on 4/24/2024 at 6:35 PM

In April 2019, I moved from New York City back to my home state of Maine to be with the love of my life, Ben. I had worked long and hard enough to have the luxury of working anywhere, following my dreams of being a writer. I had romanticized the idea of writing a bestseller in a cabin in the woods, Stephen King-style. But the transition wasn't easy (and I have yet to write a bestseller).

The lack of community was hard for me. I was so used to always being busy seeing shows, performing in plays, working on passion projects, trying new restaurants, and staying out late with friends. I'm not one to sit in despair, though. So, I auditioned for a local play and was cast with a community theater I had worked with in high school.

Theatre has always been my way of socializing and coping. It's where I feel the most myself. But I noticed something was off this time around. Rehearsals didn't feel fulfilling. Social anxiety started creeping up, and sometimes, I just didn't have the words or energy to speak to my castmates.

Then, there was extreme fatigue. I felt like I could sleep all day, and sometimes I did when my boyfriend was at work. On the days I did work, I was more unproductive than ever. Writing felt like such a chore, and my days were becoming more sedentary. That summer, I noticed my shorts started feeling tight, and I no longer loved the look of crop tops showing off my mid-drift.

By Halloween, my favorite little black dress barely fit my stomach and not only did I feel the weight start piling onto my body, but I felt the weight of the world around me. Everything felt harder emotionally and physically, even if it was just washing the dishes. My grandfather, who I was very close to, was dying from cancer, and I wasn't coping well. My emotions were out of control. I was still anxious in social situations unless I was liquored up, so that became a big trend in my life. And I was depressed and on edge at home unless I was being productive. I'm a Capricorn, so I blamed it on that.

In pictures taken by my sister-in-law at our Thanksgiving celebration, I noticed a lump on the back of my neck, which I would later learn is coined a "buffalo hump," a fatty lump between the shoulders — a common marker of Cushing disease , a specific type of Cushing's syndrome, which is triggered by an overproduction of cortisol (often caused by a tumor in the pituitary gland) or long-term use of glucocorticoids and can result in dramatic and rapid weight gain, high blood pressure , muscle weakness, high cholesterol, extreme fatigue, depression, anxiety , irritability, and sleeplessness. Over time, Cushing disease can also lead to other health conditions such as diabetes, osteoporosis, liver and kidney issues, infertility, heart attack, and even death if symptoms are not addressed.

Even with all the symptoms piling up, I didn't think I had a disease. I mean, does anyone ever think they have a rare disease? I continued to blame my new work-from-home routine for the weight gain and the lack of community I felt with my move to Maine for the all-consuming depression and anxiety I was experiencing. At this point, my ability to leave the house without debilitating anxiety was impossible, and I dreaded family gatherings, trips to the grocery store, and "fun" social events. My social battery was always drained, and I felt totally disconnected from my body.

By December 2020, insomnia had become a huge symptom. I was barely sleeping, getting three hours a night on average, and over-exercising and dieting to make up for the weight gain. The scale was my lifeline. I checked it every day, and the number just kept going up despite all the work I was doing. I felt hopeless.

Finding a Diagnosis

After reading "Beyond the Pill" by Dr. Jolene Brighten , in late spring of 2021, I felt the urge to dig deeper into the topic of high cortisol. The symptoms Dr. Brighten mentions in her book were spot-on with what I was experiencing. The more I researched, the more I became convinced that the symptoms I was suffering from, including anxiety, depression, panic attacks, night sweats , frequent urination, injuries, hair loss, bruising, insomnia, severe weight gain and fatigue were all caused by high cortisol.

At my next ob-gyn appointment I requested a cortisol test — although my provider insisted it was my thyroid after listening to my symptoms. Still, she appeased me by ordering a 24-urine collection which revealed my cortisol level was sky-high. I was then referred to an endocrinologist who performed an MRI and discovered a tumor in the pituitary gland that had been producing too much adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), stimulating the adrenal production of cortisol and, therefore, resulting in Cushing disease. Hearing the news that I was diagnosed with a rare disease was initially comforting. I was able to drop the guilt I had about "letting myself go" and find comfort in the fact that there were treatment options available. I felt hopeful for the first time in long time.

Three months after being diagnosed with Cushing's disease, I had surgery to have the tumor removed and then began my road to remission. For weeks, I couldn't walk on my own due to my body's inability to make its own cortisol. I was on steroids to help supplement the cortisol I needed and I was in incredible pain due to inflammation and fluctuating hormone levels. But I also knew things were getting better. My hair was growing back, my skin was clear, and the weight was falling off. This kept me fighting.

Nine months later, I was able to taper off steroids completely. My muscles were weakened by the long-term effect of high cortisol, but I felt more like myself than I had in years; I was happy, social, and motivated at work and back in theatre doing what I love.

A New Normal

Every day, I feel blessed to be alive and in remission. If left untreated, Cushing's survival rate is 50% at five years. But thanks to my own persistence and a wonderful team, I was able to get a diagnosis after about three years of full-force symptoms but only months of pushing for answers. Not everyone's Cushing's journey is this smooth. I understand I'm one of the lucky ones.

Now, I'm in my third trimester of pregnancy, after getting married in August 2023. My life is more full than I ever thought it could be during the onset of my symptoms. I won't lie, some days, life is still hard. I feel pain more than others. I get episodes of adrenal fatigue where it feels like I was hit by a truck. But I continue to take it one day at a time.

Winning this battle taught me the value of slowing down (something my husband has been telling me to do for years). I learned how to advocate for myself, too. You know your body more than your doctor or anyone else. If you feel something is "off" or different, do your research, seek the experts, and advocate for yourself.

Cushing disease pushed me to be stronger than I ever had to be and learn to love myself in every stage — toned body or not. Of course, it is nice to wear the clothes that didn't fit during my Cushing's journey. And it feels good to curl my hair and do my makeup without sweating it off immediately, but it also feels ok to throw my hair up in a bun and wear leggings and a sweatshirt without shame. I don't focus on my appearance as much as I used to. Pushing through those years of hell and coming out the other side stronger feels like a rebirth. After feeling so disconnected for years, being in tune and connected with my body is a gift and something I am grateful for every single day.

Laurie Riihimaki is a full-time freelance writer and managing editor for digital and print publications. Her areas of expertise include sex and relationships, mental health, women's health, and hormones.

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April 25, 2024

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What is health equity? How the idea grew—and why it matters

by Michael Merschel, American Heart Association

It's an idea as old as modern medicine and as new as the latest medical research. No matter how you look at health equity, the conversation involves contradictions.

But at its core are fundamental questions about illness and health, say experts who have watched the conversation move from the fringes of scholarly debate to the mainstream of 21st century health care.

The term can be abstract, but the facts are not. The richest 1% of Americans have a life expectancy that's at least 10 years higher than those in the poorest 1%. Where a person lives can predict their likelihood of developing heart disease, high blood pressure , diabetes and more.

Health equity seeks to address that. "Health equity means that we achieve health that is as equal as possible, within the constraints of things we can fix," said Dr. Sandro Galea, dean of the School of Public Health at Boston University.

Because explanations of health equity overlap with terms such as inequality and justice, metaphors come in handy.

Galea, who has been studying health equity issues for a quarter century, uses this one: If one person is taller than another, that's an inequality that can't be fixed. However, if medicine is being kept on a high shelf that only tall people can reach, the solution involves equity.

"Health equity is about fixing health gaps that are fixable," he said. "And often, health inequity reflects an injustice, in that we have not paid enough attention to what can be fixed."

Putting it in more concrete terms, Galea said there could be many reasons why one person has higher cholesterol levels than another. But "if your cholesterol is lower than mine because you have access to broccoli, and all I have access to is potato chips, the question becomes, 'Why is that?'"

In one often debated and viral illustration, equity is likened to people attempting to watch a baseball game over a fence; a short person will need a boost that a taller one doesn't.

But such "catchy and compelling brief definitions leave a lot of blanks to be filled in," said Dr. Paula Braveman, founding director of the Center for Health Equity at the University of California, San Francisco.

Braveman, a professor emeritus of family community medicine, has said that if you asked 100 experts for a definition of health equity, you might get 100 substantively different replies. And if you asked her for a definition at different times over the three decades she's been studying the topic, "you might get different answers from me."

These days, her preferred definition comes from a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report that she helped write: "Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care."

Such factors are called social determinants of health, another academic term that came of age alongside health equity.

It's also why discussions of health equity often include a history lesson. To cite just one example of how events from nearly a century ago can affect health today, in the 1930s, racist redlining by banks limited where Black Americans could live and whether they could get mortgages. To this day, the neighborhoods they were restricted to are disproportionately exposed to pollution, have less access to healthy food and have higher rates of major cardiovascular problems and heart failure.

Galea offers another metaphor about such problems. Think of a goldfish in a bowl, he said. "Say it exercises, swims around its bowl, eats healthy food , has a good goldfish doctor. But it won't be healthy at all unless you change its water."

The term "health equity" first shows up in medical research in 1966, and ideas around health equity were championed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during that decade.

But Galea said concepts about social justice and health go back at least to the mid-19th century, when German scientist Rudolph Virchow, a pioneer of microbiology, linked a typhus epidemic to social conditions and said the solution was not for more doctors or hospitals but for social changes such as higher wages and universal education.

That makes health equity an old idea, Galea said, but it's seen a resurgence in the past 25 years. "And I think the resurgence of interest has been influenced by a recognition that health should be distributed fairly and evenly."

Braveman first heard the term in the early 1990s, when she was doing work for the World Health Organization. In the U.S., she said, academic interest initially focused on racial gaps in health care. "There was quite an active movement focused on health disparities, and that crowd took up the health equity banner right away, because it was something positive" for people to work toward, she said.

Research interest soared in the 1990s and early 2000s, statistics show. Braveman said that was partly because "the seeds had been sown," and it was an idea whose time had come.

Global politics also helped. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early '90s, "one had to walk on eggshells to talk about these issues," Braveman said. It took the retreat of global communism for public health experts in the U.S. to feel at ease even using the term social justice.

"You really couldn't then," she said. "You could try to talk around it or hint at it using some very concrete illustrations, but you couldn't say 'social justice.'"

Over the next two decades, Braveman has written, the importance of health equity and the social forces that shape health moved "from obscurity and stigma to daylight and respectability."

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought equity issues into the public consciousness. Death rates from the coronavirus showed huge gaps along racial and ethnic lines, and the nation confronted how someone's job, home and even internet access could be matters of life and death.

"I do think COVID was catalytic," Galea said.

Now, he said, "there's a generation of public health scientists and practitioners who see health equity as being at the very heart of what they do."

Braveman is cautiously hopeful that generation will be able to build on the momentum they've developed. In decades to come, "I would hope that we would move probably slowly but steadily in the direction of greater health equity."

But, she said, progress won't happen without widespread understanding that "there's no health equity without equity." The public must be willing to act on matters of "poverty, child care, housing discrimination, quality education—all those social determinants of health."

That makes health equity a political matter. Which, to her, means that the future of health equity will be determined at the voting booth.

Galea agrees that health equity can't be divorced from politics. But that doesn't mean it has to be divisive, he said, "because I don't think that people of good conscience, regardless of partisan stripe, actually think that health gaps are a good thing, or conscionable."

He looks ahead with an optimism, informed by the past, that comes from embracing contradictions.

Over the past quarter century, he said, "I think there's been enormous recognition of the importance of health inequity." And while discrepancies between Black and white Americans are "unacceptably wide," there has been progress.

For example, between 2000 and 2019, the death rate from cardiovascular causes fell, and the gap between Black and white adults narrowed, according to a study published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation in 2022. And federal data shows that in 1900, the life expectancy gap between Black and white Americans was more than 14 years. In 2021, that gap was down to 5.5 years.

So it can be simultaneously true that "the world is a terrible place, and the world needs to get much better—but the world is a much better place than it's ever been," Galea said. "Those three things are all true."

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A Brief History of Abortion in the U.S.

Abortion wasn’t always a moral, political, and legal tinderbox. What changed?

A bortion laws have never been more contentious in the U.S. Yet for the first century of the country’s existence—and most of human history before that—abortion was a relatively uncontroversial fact of life.

“Abortion has existed for pretty much as long as human beings have existed,” says Joanne Rosen, JD, MA , a senior lecturer in Health Policy and Management who studies the impact of law and policy on access to abortion.

Until the mid-19th century, the U.S. attitude toward abortion was much the same as it had often been elsewhere throughout history: It was a quiet reality, legal until “quickening” (when fetal motion could be felt by the mother). In the eyes of the law, the fetus wasn’t a “separate distinct entity until then,” but rather an extension of the mother, Rosen explains.

What changed?

America’s first anti-abortion movement wasn’t driven primarily by moral or religious concerns like it is today. Instead, abortion’s first major foe in the U.S. was physicians on a mission to regulate medicine.

Until this point, abortion services had been “women’s work.” Most providers were midwives, many of whom made a good living selling abortifacient plants. They relied on methods passed down through generations, from herbal abortifacients and pessaries—a tampon-like device soaked in a solution to induce abortion—to catheter abortions that irritate the womb and force a miscarriage, to a minor surgical procedure called dilation and curettage (D&C), which remains one of the most common methods of terminating an early pregnancy.

The cottage abortion industry caught the attention of the fledgling American Medical Association, which was established in 1847 and, at the time, excluded women and Black people from membership. The AMA was keen to be taken seriously as a gatekeeper of the medical profession, and abortion services made midwives and other irregular practitioners—so-called quacks—an easy target. Their rhetoric was strategic, says Mary Fissell, PhD , the J. Mario Molina professor in the Department of the History of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. “You have to link those midwives to providing abortion as a way of kind of getting them out of business,” Fissell says. “So organized medicine very much takes the anti-abortion position and stays with that for some time.”

Early 19th century and before

Abortion is legal in the U.S. until “quickening”

AMA campaigns to end abortion

At least 40 anti-abortion statutes are enacted in the U.S.

Comstock Act makes it illegal to sell or mail contraceptives or abortifacients

Late 19th century

OB-GYN emerges as a specialty

Griswold v. Connecticut decision finds that the Constitution guarantees a right to privacy, specifically in prescribing contraceptives, paving the way for Roe v. Wade

Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade enshrines abortion as a constitutional right

Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey protects a woman's right to have an abortion prior to  fetal viability

Four states pass trigger laws making it a felony to perform, procure, or prescribe an abortion if Roe is ever overturned

Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey overturned; 13 states ban abortion by October 2022

In 1857, the AMA took aim at unregulated abortion providers with a letter-writing campaign pushing state lawmakers to ban the practice. To make their case, they asserted that there was a medical consensus that life begins at conception, rather than at quickening.

The campaign succeeded. At least 40 anti-abortion laws went on the books between 1860 and 1880.

And yet some doctors continued to perform abortions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By then, abortion was illegal in almost all states and territories, but during the Depression era, “doctors could see why women wouldn’t want a child,” and many would perform them anyway, Fissell says. In the 1920s and through the 1930s, many cities had physicians who specialized in abortions, and other doctors would refer patients to them “off book.”

That leniency faded with the end of World War II. “All across America, it’s very much about gender roles, and women are supposed to be in the home, having babies,” Fissell says. This shift in the 1940s and ’50s meant that more doctors were prosecuted for performing abortions, which drove the practice underground and into less skilled hands. In the 1950s and 1960s, up to 1.2 million illegal abortions were performed each year in the U.S., according to the Guttmacher Institute . In 1965, 17% of reported deaths attributed to pregnancy and childbirth were associated with illegal abortion.

A rubella outbreak from 1963–1965 moved the dial again, back toward more liberal abortion laws. Catching rubella during pregnancy could cause severe birth defects, leading medical authorities to endorse therapeutic abortions . But these safe, legal abortions remained largely the preserve of the privileged. “Women who are well-to-do have always managed to get abortions, almost always without a penalty,” says Fissell. “But God help her if she was a single, Black, working-class woman.”

Women who could afford it brought their cases to court to fight for access to hospital abortions. Other women gained approval for abortions with proof from a physician that carrying the pregnancy would endanger her life or her physical or mental health. These cases set off a wave of abortion reform bills in state legislatures that helped set the stage for Roe v. Wade . By the time Roe was decided in 1973, legal abortions were already available in 17 states—and not just to save a woman’s life.

But raising the issue to the level of the Supreme Court and enshrining abortion rights for all Americans also galvanized opposition to it and mobilized anti-abortion groups. “ Roe was under attack virtually from the moment it was decided,” says Rosen.  

In 1992 another Supreme Court case, Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey posed the most significant existential threat to Roe . Rosen calls it “the case that launched a thousand abortion regulations,” upholding Roe but giving states far greater scope to regulate abortion prior to fetal viability. However, defining that nebulous milestone a became a flashpoint for debate as medical advancements saw babies survive earlier and earlier outside the womb. Sonograms became routine around the same time, making fetal life easier to grasp and “putting wind in the sails of the ‘pro-life’ movement,” Rosen says. Then in June, the Supreme Court overturned both Roe and Casey .

For many Americans, that meant the return to the conundrum that led Norma McCorvey—a.k.a. Jane Roe—to the Supreme Court in 1971: being poor and pregnant, and seeking an abortion in a state that had banned them in all but the narrowest of circumstances.

The history of abortion in the U.S. suggests the tides will turn again. “We often see periods of toleration followed by periods of repression,” says Fissell. The current moment is unequivocally marked by the latter. What remains to be seen is how long it will last.

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Congratulations to our 2024 Essay Award Winner

The Department of Health and Society congratulates the winner of this year’s Essay Award, Francine Gasasira!

Francine is a second-year student majoring in Population Health and a double minor in Psychology and Applied Statistics.

The DHS Essay Award invites Black students in the department to submit essays on selected topics in Black health. Francine’s essay examines research into breast cancer among Black women by McMaster University Professor Juliet Daniel. 

“Receiving this award fills me with so much joy and gratitude,” says Francine. “In doing this research, I realized that we can all use our skills to ignite change and solve problems in our world, just like Dr. Juliet Daniel did with her scientific discovery. I believe that it is imperative to recognize the disparities that exist in our world and use any expertise we may have to fill in those gaps. I now feel more empowered to do further research in the health sciences and use my findings to improve the lives of others.”

You can read Francine’s winning essay below.

Dr. Juliet Daniel’s Breast Cancer Research: Addressing Urgent Needs in Black Health

Breast cancer.

Data reveals that breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, affecting millions around the world1. In Canada, breast cancer ranks as the second most prevalent cancer with approximately 1 in 8 women receiving a diagnosis in their lifetime1. Although the survival rates for this illness have significantly increased, there are still disparities regarding access to care, treatment efficacy and survival outcomes2. This essay will specifically explore a form of breast cancer that disproportionately affects Black women and analyze the implications of the ground-breaking research regarding this matter.

Research shows that Black women are less likely to develop breast cancer compared to their Caucasian counterparts3. However, in the instances when they do, Black women tend to develop triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)3. This subtype of breast cancer is very aggressive, tends to spread to important organs very quickly and has the lowest survival rate when compared to other forms of breast cancer3. It is also most prevalent in young Black women1. This discovery led Dr. Juliet Daniel, a lead researcher at McMaster University, to conduct research that will allow scientists and doctors to better understand, prevent and treat this form of breast cancer, which would ultimately save millions of lives3.

Ground-breaking Discovery: Kaiso Gene

Existing research hypothesized that Black women developed TNBC more than Caucasian women because of the social determinants of health, such as socioeconomic status4. However, Dr. Daniel hypothesized that the high incidence of TNBC among Black women could be attributed to genetics4. In 1999, she discovered a gene that she named Kaiso and in 2012, she found that the expression of this gene was higher in the breast cancer tissues of Black when compared to those of Caucasian women3. The Kaiso gene has also been found to be a key contributor to the spread of TNBC to the rest of the body3. Lastly, women who had a high expression of Kaiso, were less likely to survive from breast cancer3.

Implications for Black Health

The discovery of the Kaiso gene and how it is expressed differently by different women with breast cancer is extremely remarkable. It gives cancer researchers all around the world a better understanding of why Black women are affected differently by breast cancer. It also explains why Black women have lower survival rates than White women when diagnosed with breast cancer. Furthermore, it brings researchers, such as Dr. Daniel, one step closer to discovering how to prevent or even develop a more targeted treatment for TNBC and prevent it from spreading to other organs. Although, women are still dying from TNBC, this discovery has laid the foundation for future breast cancer research, especially among Black women. Lastly, this discovery is very encouraging to many Black and female scientists around the world, as Dr. Daniel must have inspired them to take up space in Science and make their mark.

• Public. Breast cancer - Canada.ca [Internet]. Canada.ca. 2022 [cited 2024 Apr 12]. Available from:  https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/breast-cancer.html
• BioMark Diagnostics Inc. Revolutionizing Cancer Research: Meet Dr. Juliet Daniel, the Trailblazing Black Scientist Making a Difference in the Lives of Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) Patients - Biomark Diagnostics [Internet]. Biomark Diagnostics. 2023 [cited 2024 Apr 12]. Available from:  https://www.biomarkdiagnostics.com/revolutionizingcancer-research-meet-dr-juliet-daniel-the-trailblazing-black-scientist-making-a-difference-in-the-lives-of-triplenegative-breast-cancer-tnbc-patients/
• Canada,. Passion and persistence: How fundamental research is addressing an aggressive breast cancer – CIHR [Internet]. Cihr-irsc.gc.ca. 2020 [cited 2024 Apr 12]. Available from:  https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/53154.html
• Biologist Juliet Daniel named one of Canada’s top Black innovators in research and medicine [Internet]. Mcmaster.ca. 2024 [cited 2024 Apr 12]. Available from: https://brighterworld.mcmaster.ca/articles/juliet-daniel-cipo-top-blackinnovator-research-medicine/

Health and Fitness Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on health and fitness.

We have always heard the word ‘health’ and ‘fitness’. We use it ourselves when we say phrases like ‘health is wealth’ and ‘fitness is the key’. What does the word health really mean? It implies the idea of ‘being well’. We call a person healthy and fit when he/she function well physically as well as mentally.

Factors Affecting our Health and Fitness

Good health and fitness is not something which one can achieve entirely on our own. It depends on their physical environment and the quality of food intake. We live in villages, towns, and cities.

In such places, even our physical environment affects our health. Therefore, our social responsibility of pollution-free environment directly affects our health. Our day-to-day habits also determine our fitness level. The quality of food, air, water all helps in building our fitness level.

Role of Nutritious Diet on our Health and Fitness

The first thing about where fitness starts is food. We should take nutritious food. Food rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates is very essential. Protein is necessary for body growth. Carbohydrates provide the required energy in performing various tasks. Vitamin and minerals help in building bones and boosting our immune system.

However, taking food in uneven quantity is not good for the body. Taking essential nutrients in adequate amount is called a balanced diet. Taking a balanced diet keep body and mind strong and healthy. Good food helps in better sleep, proper brain functioning and healthy body weight.

Include vegetables, fruits, and pulses in daily diet. One must have a three-course meal. Having roughage helps in cleaning inner body organs. Healthy food habit prevents various diseases. Reducing the amount of fat in the diet prevents cholesterol and heart diseases.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Impact of Exercise on our Health

Routine exercise helps improve our muscle power. Exercise helps in good oxygen supply and blood flow throughout the body. Heart and lungs work efficiently. Our bones get strong and joints have the pain free movement.

We should daily spend at least twenty minutes in our exercise. Daily morning walk improves our fitness level. We should avoid strenuous Gym activities. Exercise burns our fat and controls the cholesterol level in the body. Various outdoor games like cricket, football, volleyball, etc keeps our body fit. Regular exercise maintains our body shape.

Meditation, Yoga, and Health

Meditation and yoga are part of our life from ancient time. They not only make us physically fit but mentally strong as well. Meditation improves our concentration level. Our mind gets relaxed and thinking becomes positive.

A healthy mind is key for a healthy body. Yoga makes us stressfree and improves the endurance power of the mind. Yoga controls our blood pressure. With yoga, a strong bond with nature is established. Meditation is considered the best way to fight depression.

A person stays happier when he/she is fit and healthy. A fit and healthy person is less prone to chronic diseases. The healthy mind reacts better in a pressure situation. The self-confidence of a person is increased. Risk of heart failure is reduced drastically. With the increased immunity power body could fight cancerous cells. The intensity of the fracture is decreased with regular exercise.

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‘The Age of Magical Overthinking’ tries to pinpoint our mental health crisis

Amanda montell casts a wide net in her new essay collection. maybe too wide..

Every generation has its own crisis, the linguist and podcaster Amanda Montell writes. In the 1960s and ’70s, young Americans organized against “physical tyrannies” such as voter suppression and workplace discrimination. But times have changed.

The 21st century brought a shift in our attention from external threats to internal ones, Montell says. Rates of anxiety and depression among U.S. teens and adults have spiked. Loneliness is a public health threat . We’re glued to our phones, alienated from loved ones and surrounded by misinformation.

People everywhere, Montell writes, are facing a crisis of the mind.

From this grim landscape emerges “ The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality ,” Montell’s third book and a sweeping look at mental health, behavioral science, misinformation and online culture in the 2020s. In it, she argues that the ills of the internet era are best explained by looking back on humanity’s history, when our minds developed shortcuts to improve our odds of survival. Those shortcuts are called cognitive biases, and they may lead us to do strange things like fall for a conspiracy theory or accept mental health advice from an untrained influencer .

Montell leads us through an engaging roundup of “21st century derangement,” from celebrity worship to tradwife discourse , examining how cognitive biases may contribute. But by positioning her work as a response to America’s broad struggle with mental health, Montell promises more than she delivers. Rather than focusing on a tour of our shared cognitive glitches, she juggles meta-commentary on such vast topics as the modern mind and the internet, dropping balls along the way.

The book opens with an account of Montell’s struggles with anxiety and overwhelm, as well as the steps she took to feel better. “My most cinematic attempt at mental rehab involved picking herbs on a farm in Sicily under a light-pollution-free sky,” she writes.

Eventually, she had an aha moment: The same cognitive biases she encountered while researching toxic social groups for her second book, “ Cultish ,” could explain why the internet age felt like a “mass head trip.” Glutted with more information in a day than we can ever hope to process, we fall back on mental habits developed when humans were simpler creatures, Montell writes. For example, social media celebrity worship could be fueled by the “halo effect,” where we assume a person with one good quality (writing hit pop songs) has other good qualities (a perfectly tuned moral compass). Or perhaps we spend hours comparing ourselves with other people on Instagram because the “zero-sum bias” has convinced us that life is a game of winners and losers.

Montell backs up her connections in many instances with nods to evolutionary biology. For early humans, it made sense to attach ourselves to the strongest and most powerful, so now we glom onto Taylor Swift or Charli XCX. Resources like mates and status were limited in ancient human communities, Montell notes, so it’s natural that we view hot people on Instagram as immediate threats to our survival.

Montell finds examples of cognitive bias in internet culture flash points, such as the millennial obsession with New Age therapy-speak. Faced with big problems, such as anxiety or depression, our minds seek big explanations, such as childhood trauma or a scarcity mind-set, rather than examining all the smaller problems at play.

In other spots, she shares stories from her own life. In her late 20s, she struggled to end an abusive relationship, terrified that giving up meant she’d wasted years of her life — a classic “sunk cost fallacy.” Humans are social creatures, Montell notes, afraid of inviting scrutiny by admitting mistakes.

“My hope is for these chapters to make some sense of the senseless,” Montell says early on. “To crack open a window in our minds, and let a warm breeze in.” And indeed, in some moments, her sharp descriptions of behavioral foibles and her talent for cutting through doublespeak clear room for hope: Maybe noticing our warped thinking will make its effects less painful. Maybe our generational “crisis” is a story of not-enough-neurons encountering too-many-terabytes.

When confidence in Montell’s analysis wavers, it’s because the targets are too broad, the claims imprecise. For instance, we’re never quite sure of the shape of the national mental health crisis she repeatedly references. Early on, she draws a distinction between Americans’ current mental health struggles and 20th-century battles against bodily oppression. This neat separation doesn’t reflect reality — “The Age of Magical Overthinking” was published after Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and during ongoing fights for voter access, health care and the right to protest. It also doesn’t reflect what science has shown about illnesses like depression, which are often tied up with a person’s physical and political well-being. Ultimately, we’re left with the sense that Montell’s crisis of the mind begins and ends with the vague feelings of anxiety and dread many people feel after scrolling on social media apps.

Montell implies that the breakdown of Americans’ mental health began after 2000, brought on by internet access and introspection. Conflating “the internet” with social media, she draws loose connections between online scrolling and mental turmoil, making no reference to the complicated science around how social media use affects our brains. Some studies have found bumps in anxiety and depression associated with social media use, but more recent meta-analyses call their methods and findings into question . To date, researchers have found no consistent causal link between spending time on social apps and experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Of course, future research may uncover new ways to measure how social media use or other online activities affect the mental health of different populations. Perhaps we should rely on a different measure altogether, like qualitative research into young people and their families. Rather than critique the existing science or offer an alternative lens, Montell picks two studies that support her thesis and hand-waves at the dire state of things.

Finally, although Montell says cognitive biases affect everyone, she aims her jabs at the safest of targets: “Disney adults,” “male girlbosses,” “Facebook-addicted Karens.” Readers hoping for fresh or counterintuitive takes on internet culture — and its heroes and villains — may walk away disappointed.

Montell says from the jump that her analysis of 2020s malaise is “not a system of thought,” likening her work instead to a Buddhist koan — meant to be pondered, not understood. That’s fine, and “The Age of Magical Overthinking” ultimately features interesting topics, fun research and vivid stories. But in Montell’s effort to critique the spirit of our times, she asks imprecise questions and offers unsatisfactory answers.

Tatum Hunter is a consumer technology reporter at The Washington Post based in San Francisco. Her work focuses on health, privacy and relationships in the internet era.

The Age of Magical Overthinking

Notes on Modern Irrationality

By Amanda Montell

Atria/One Signal. 272 pp. $28.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

What Blocking Emergency Abortion Care in Idaho Means for Doctors Like Me

O n April 24, the Supreme Court will hear arguments weighing whether Idaho politicians have the power to block doctors from giving emergency medical care to patients experiencing pregnancy complications—a case that will open the door for other states to prohibit emergency reproductive care and worsen medical infrastructure for people across the board. Once again, politicians have set up a case that could have devastating impacts on the ability of doctors to provide--and for pregnant women to receive--essential reproductive health care.

I’m a family physician who’s practiced medicine in rural Idaho for more than 20 years, where I’ve had the opportunity to guide hundreds of patients through their pregnancies. It’s no exaggeration when I say that my state’s health care system is in crisis, thanks in enormous part to our near-total abortion ban. Now, instead of trying to salvage what’s left, Idaho politicians are looking to hasten our downward spiral, making it even harder for doctors like me to provide care to patients in need. I can only hope that the Court will take into account that it’s not just abortion at stake in this case—it’s the future of emergency room care and medicine altogether.  

Rural health care has always faced challenges, but in the nearly two years since the overturning of Roe v. Wade , it’s gotten exponentially worse. In Idaho, we’ve lost nearly a quarter of our obstetricians since the state’s abortion ban went into effect—colleagues and friends who got into medicine to help people are being forced out of practicing obstetrics in our state. They realized it was impossible to provide adequate care while under the thumb of politicians more interested in advancing their extremist agenda than protecting the health of their constituents.

Idaho’s abortion ban makes it a crime for anyone to perform or assist with performing an abortion in nearly all circumstances. The ban does not even include an exception for when a person’s health is at risk—only for when a doctor determines that an abortion is necessary to prevent the pregnant person’s death. Ask any doctor and they'll tell you that this "exception" leads to more questions than answers.

Read More: ‘ Am I a Felon?’ The Fall of Roe v. Wade Has Permanently Changed the Doctor-Patient Relationship

Patients need an emergency abortion for a wide range of circumstances, including to resolve a health-threatening miscarriage. But there is no clear-cut legal definition under the ban of what exactly that looks like or when we can intervene, and doctors—operating under the threat of prosecution—have no choice but to err on the side of caution.

“Can I continue to replace her blood loss fast enough? How many organ systems must be failing? Can a patient be hours away from death before I intervene, or does it have to be minutes?” These are the callous questions doctors are now forced to think through, all the while our patient is counting on us to do the right thing and put their needs first.

As a result, pregnant patients sometimes make repeated trips to the ER because they’re told time and time again that nothing can be done for them until their complications get more severe. Imagine if someone you love had a 104-degree fever but you were told nothing could be done until it spiked to 106 and your organs were failing. Requiring patients to get right up to the point of no return before administering care is not sound medical policy—it’s naked cruelty, and it’s only going to get worse as long as we allow extremism, not science, to run rampant in our statehouses and trample over our safe system of care.

It also violates a longstanding federal law—the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA)—that requires hospitals to treat emergencies before they become life-threatening. That’s exactly why the U.S. Department of Justice sued Idaho soon after the state’s abortion ban took effect. The lawsuit argues only that Idaho must allow doctors to provide abortions in medical emergencies when that is the standard stabilizing care, but even that proved too much for state leaders.

Instead, Idaho politicians fought the DOJ all the way up to the Supreme Court. How the Supreme Court rules will have broad implications that will reverberate throughout the country. If the Court holds that federal law no longer protects pregnant people during emergencies, it will give anti-abortion politicians across the country the green light to deny essential abortion care, push providers to leave states where the choices made with their patients can be second-guessed by prosecutors, and continue this cycle of inhumanity for patients. 

As we’ve seen in Idaho, policies guided by anti-abortion extremism make health care worse for everyone. This assault on abortion has not ended with abortion—rather, it has extended to more of our rights and health care, with birth control , IVF , prescription drugs , and now emergency medical care all at risk.  

This must stop. 

For nearly 40 years, federal law has guaranteed that patients have access to necessary emergency care, including when a pregnancy goes horribly wrong. The Supreme Court must uphold this law and ensure pregnant people continue to get the care they need when they need it most. The health of my patients in West Central Idaho—and millions of other Americans across the country—deserve nothing less.

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