The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of all human beings without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic condition or social status. It is the duty of governments to promote and protect the health of their peoples.
The committee defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This more expansive definition is important because it allows improvement efforts to target things like an individual’s perception of their health, their response to illness, their functional capacity both now and in the future, and the support structures that help them adapt to life changes.
Traditional targets for intervention have been specific diseases or behaviors, and categorical funding streams for both research and service delivery encourage this approach. However, the field model framework of determinants of health calls for consideration of a wider array of targets. For example, can unintended pregnancies, drug and alcohol use, crime, school dropout rates, and feelings of alienation be reduced through a combination of family preservation programs, after-school athletics (e.g., midnight basketball), and church-based support networks for teens?
Moreover, because health is a dynamic concept that depends on the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, it can be viewed as an intermediate determinant. Behaviors that directly influence health, such as exercise and sleep habits, are influenced by the same forces that affect an individual’s sense of balance and health, including the physical and social environment and genetic endowment.