“ALL for Health” will Ensure “Health for All”
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) take the lives of 17.9 million people every year, contributing to 31% of all global deaths. Triggering these diseases are unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and the harmful use of alcohol. These, in turn show up in people as raised blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, overweight and obesity, risks detrimental to good health.
Heart health is a one single component of Health. Overall, Health
is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing
(emotional, spiritual and cultural to add on in near future) and not merely an
absence of disease or infirmity. As a global strategy by WHO in 1981, a goal of
“Health for All” was conceptualized and as a signatory to the Alma Ata
Declaration, the Govt. of India committed to take steps to provide 'health for
all' to its citizens by 2000. Health for all must be the center of gravity
of
all efforts, however, much hasn’t been achieved in this direction as 1 out of
17 of world’s citizens lack access to Essential Health Services (WHO). Health
for all implies the removal of all obstacles to health, that’s to say,
elimination of malnutrition, ignorance, contaminated drinking water, unhygienic
housing and providing a solution of purely medical problems such as lack of
doctors, hospital beds, drugs and vaccines. Health is too important a matter to
be left to healthcare and Govt. Every individual, community and sector must be
involved. The political commitment along with the community participation and
support of health related sectors is needed so that a socially equitable,
self-reliant and universally covered healthcare is provided and a goal of
health for all is achieved.
Various Govt. initiatives like Swachh Bharat, Providing safe drinking water, midday meal programme, vaccination programmes, universal health coverage etc. are the welcome baby steps to achieve such goal. However, we need to understand the difference between health care and health coverage – the two are not synonymous. Health is a personal state of wellbeing, and not just the availability of health services. Universal Healthcare is built on the concept of health as a human right, the right to health and healthcare as universal, inalienable, indivisible and interdependent. The coverage model does not envisage providing of comprehensive healthcare nor its quality, its focus is on a predefined package of services that excludes a bulk required to address the health needs of people. These insurance schemes have neither provided protection nor have they facilitated access to quality healthcare. The focus on ‘Coverage’ and not ‘Care’ is a serious concern.
A number of surveys have shown that most of the developing countries spend more expenditure on disease rather than on health. According to World Heart Federation 80% of premature deaths due to non- communicable disease can be protected by taking preventive measures. As prevention is better than cure, more preventive measures need to be taken so that we are able to erupt the root cause of disease thereby having healthier society. One active step taken recently has been the ban on usage of E- cigarettes that not only will help in preventing addiction induced disorders but will get the misguided youth back on track. Similarly, an unnecessary promotion of junk foods, cold drinks, tobacco and alcohol use in advertisements by the celebrities of likes of Bollywood and sports personnel need to be banned and an environment wherein healthy lifestyle ways like healthy food habits, benefits of physical activity, yoga etc. need to be promoted. This will have a larger impact on general masses and unreached territories can be effectively reached. However, all this needs a sincere political will and till the time the policies like Ban on manufacture and promotion of tobacco, cigarette, alcohol is brought into action (mirage though), the healthy policies like prohibiting tobacco and alcohol use at work places, promoting healthy foods at events/meetings, allowing flextime to exercise/attend health programmes etc. can be adopted at an individual and community level so that we see a “Healthier India” in future
DR. Pawan K. Suri
Sr. Cardiologist (SGL SuperSpeciality Hospital),
Jalandhar
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