Writing Journal

Medicine is in a constant state of change, from new advancements to changes in rules and ethics. The way care is provided will always change and be improved. Something like the nanophotonic electron accelerator (NEA) could be developed and used to kill certain cancers in the next few years. [Sapra et al, 2020]  Medicine keeps evolving and thus makes it challenging to find a definition that fits everyone. This essay will speak about the definition of health and attempt to provide a universal definition for the current period of time. It will share a base to be worked on in the near future.

The current worldwide agreed-upon definition is the WHO definition. “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. It is a fundamental human right” (WHO, 1946). This is a good definition to work from but has some flaws.

The word “complete” should be removed as it introduces bias. The term implies that someone with a disability, such as the loss of a leg, is less healthy or capable. This is far from being accurate. For example, a YouTuber known as Alex1Leg (Alex1Leg, 2024), who lost his leg due to cancer, is in excellent physical condition. In one of his videos, he performed weighted dips with 82 kg  [Alex1Leg, 2024], an impressive feat by any standard. Alex is healthier than the average person, demonstrating that physical health and capability are not diminished by the loss of a limb.

The addition of themes such as spirituality and religious well-being to the definitions was suggested. Although this does include traditional healers, the addition of these themes doesn’t fit universally. Traditional healers are a big part of South Africa, and Africa as a whole. They aid in less clustering in hospitals and people and allow for more critical patients to get treatment. Although all the aforementioned are true, the themes still do not fit health. These themes are merely symptoms that dictate health. If an individual is not spiritually or religiously content that may have an impact on their physical, mental or social well-being. It is good to think about spirituality and religious well-being not as a core concept but as a symptom of the effect core concept.

“… It is a fundamental human right”. This brings about equality. Equality at its core is good but it isn’t fair. A rich man may need less health care and attention than a poor man but if they receive the same health care the poor man is significantly disadvantaged. The addition of “equity” should be included. This raises the inclusion based on the “PROGRESS-Plus” groups. This includes Place of residence,  Race, Occupation, Gender, Religion, Education, Socioeconomic status, Social capital/networks, Age, disability, and sexual orientation. [Amilcar, 2024]

When I was 7 years old I broke my ankle. We lived in a small town in Limpopo. As an Indian, I was a minority and appeared to be part of the wealthy class. This is far from the truth. My family wasn’t well off and when I broke my ankle I was rushed to a public hospital. Due to my assumed wealth, I didn’t get any type of care or treatment for a week. The nurses and doctors just assumed that I would leave and go to a private hospital. This left lasting damage and on cold nights my ankles pain. If the hospital had followed the simple addition of equity to the definition, all of this would have been avoided. I would have gotten immediate care and would not suffer from lasting symptoms.

Another definition from Huber et al. (2011 ) proposed the definition of health as, “the is the ability to adapt and self-manage in the face of social, physical, and emotional challenges.” [Huber et al, 2011] Alex is the perfect example of this definition of health. Despite the challenges of losing a leg, he appears to be healthier than average. He is able to perform tasks more efficiently than the average human. Although this includes a lot of people, it is also incomplete and needs modification.

A good definition needs to look at both the biomedical model and the biopsychosocial model. Although there are some biopsychosocial elements to Huber et al’s definition, his definition focuses more on the biomedical model. It focuses on how one can physically adapt to change rather than psychosocially. The WHO definition better incorporates both the biomedical model and the biopsychosocial model.

Regardless of any definition one may come up with it needs to be revisited every year. It is impossible to have a universal definition for every generation. With new innovations come new solutions. With new solutions come new problems and thus new definitions. As Socrates once said, “The more you learn, the less you know,”

Although it is impossible to have a universal definition for health it can be built on every generation. This essay suggests the joining of both WHO and Huber et al’s definitions with minor modifications. It will include and be fair to everyone. This new definition will include people like alex1Leg and view him as healthy. It will also include everyone from the PROGRESS-Plus group and include both the biomedical model and the biopsychosocial model

The definition proposed goes as follows: Health is a state of physical, mental, and social well-being. It is the ability to manage and adapt in order to be content with one’s state of physical, mental, and social well-being. It is not the absence of diseases or infirmity but how the individual is with the disease or infirmity. It is a fundamental right, in equity.

Medicine and health care will keep evolving and a clear definition for every generation is impossible. It is important to keep working off the basis of the previous definition and modifying it to best suit generations. A good definition includes equity, and both the biomedical model and the biopsychosocial model. The definition suggested by this essay is not a one-size-fits-generation definition but for now, it is the most inclusive definition.

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