When experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) produced the Alma-Ata declaration in 1978, health began to be emphatically considered as “the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not just the absence of diseases or diseases”.
From there, the concept was formed that “being healthy is not only the absence of illness, but is complemented by the assertion that health is physical, mental and social.
“Nowadays, many people tend to think about health in terms of the absence of disease, that is, if we are not sick, we are healthy. It is difficult to explain today the impact of this paradigm shift, this taking of position, how that impact was projected from 1978 until today and generated a dynamic and evolutionary conception of the concept of health”, explained Dr. Marcelo Radisic, Head of Medical Clinic Service at the Sanatorium Finochietto (MN 76,137), speaking to Infobae on the occasion of World Health Day today.
The Alma-Ata Declaration further stated that health “is a fundamental human right, and that the achievement of the highest attainable standard of health is a very important social objective worldwide”. On the other hand, the text explained that its realization “requires the intervention of many other social and economic sectors, in addition to health”. The redefinition of the concept of health had some objections. The breadth of its definition made it an almost impossible term to measure. However, one of the merits of that breadth is that it provided the space to begin to think of it as a dynamic process and no longer as a static condition. And it also transformed the definition itself into something dynamic, to be thought of as a process of continuous resilience, into a resource for life.
“Today, healthcare professionals think of it as a resource for living our daily lives, which allows us to fulfill dreams, meet needs, and interact and change our environment in a positive way. This conceptual difference allows us to understand that our health is inexorably intertwined with the health of our planet, with the quality of our air, of the food we eat, of the water we drink, with the quality and richness of the ties that tie our relationships with other beings human beings and the living things of this planet,” emphasized Radisic, who asked to be aware that many activities, facts and things that go almost unnoticed are a crucial part of the concept of health.
Some examples that changed the world and today are everyday:
-Drinking water has saved more lives than any of the high-tech resources we use in our patients.
-Varied and healthy interpersonal relationships have proven to be crucial for a long and healthy life
-Understanding our interactions with the environment and its living beings could be critical to preventing new pandemics, such as COVID-19
-The quality of the air we breathe is a major factor in respiratory diseases, and that quality is conditioned by the use of fossil fuels when producing energy
-The impact of plastic and microplastic pollution on human health is still uncertain
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
When on March 11, 2020, the Director General of the World Health Organization announced to the planet that the new disease triggered by the SARS-CoV 2 coronavirus and known as COVID-19 had mutated into a pandemic, nothing was the same.
“Two years later, with 491 million cases in the world and more than 6 million deaths, it can be said that there is a before and after since a new coronavirus, probably jumped from a mammal to a human, far away in a market for exotic products in Wuhan, China, or if we believe in conspiracy theories, from a laboratory of the Asian giant. Beyond its origin, COVID is here to stay, possibly not as an epidemic but as an endemic disease, a classification that helps us to reduce the degree of concern, but not of occupation, since it means that it will live with us from now on, as other, no less famous viruses do, such as influenza seasonal”, Dr. Mario Boskis (MN 74002), a cardiologist and Full Member of the Argentine Society of Cardiology (MTSAC), told Infobae.
By way of summary, Boskis proposes five lessons that COVID left us:
1-Even if you don't see it, the world of microbiology exists. We learned to wear masks, disinfect our hands, maintain social distance and ventilate environments. Thanks to this, when we did not yet have vaccines, we were able to avoid even more catastrophic numbers of victims of this disease. Today we look at each other with amazement, when after two years, in open places, or in our own “bubble”, we can again look at each other's faces.
2-We learned that the virus is not only a respiratory disease, but that it could damage other organs such as the heart, kidney or brain. This generated awareness among the population about the need for post-covid medical monitoring in order to determine if there were any sequelae, regardless of the degree of severity of the disease.
3-We accepted without being surprised that we could also zoom not only to connect with our family, friends or work colleagues, but also with the doctor. The virtual consultation proved to be feasible, safe and effective, and it is here to stay.
4-Now doctors can prescribe “digital” prescriptions, it is no longer necessary for patients to crowd in a waiting room to receive a written paper with an indication of a laboratory analysis or a drug order. We receive the prescription at home and show it in any pharmacy or care center.
5-Vaccines once again demonstrated that evidence-based medicine is the only one capable of solving humanity's major medical problems, generating safe and effective vaccines in record time, which reduced hospitalization and mortality rates by more than 80%.
Dr. Alejandro Turek, University Medical Specialist in Oncology (MN 65,164), focused on the patient after almost two years of lack of medical care due to the health crisis and recommended “resuming regular check-ups”. He also pointed out that “adherence to prevention and timely diagnosis programs must be resumed”.
For psychoanalyst Ricardo Antonowicz (MN 11556), many people have been forced by the crisis to stop treatment and medication. On the other hand, he pointed out that “cuts in mental health budgets by the state produce segregation effects while patients are left out of all social ties.” “Everyone has the right to mental health. Regardless of the diagnosis and treatment, treatment must be dignified, continuous and specialized. Mental health is a right that prepaid companies must guarantee,” Antonowicz added.
For her part, the dermatologist Fiorella Marta (MN 153762) called for more campaigns to prevent skin cancer and questioned that there is no more information available to the population from the State about “this disease, although it does not have high mortality rates, is one of the most common cancers. He also considered that “these efforts need to be redoubled” and said that “we must reach people with clear, accurate and continuous information.”
“The catastrophic outbreak of the pandemic forced a general rethinking in health and personal matters. In public health, it was a good way to account for the quality and quantity of both human and physical resources in the country and in comparison with the world. In Argentina we did quite well. We are carrying out this crisis without collapse of the health system, responding to one of the greatest requirements, giving the possibility of common and serious hospitalizations that affected people during this disease. It served to rethink a lot of other things. Concentrating resources and forces on COVID made controls on other diseases neglected. But that also happened all over the world. It was necessary. We had to attend to the emergency that arose. This claimed health checks and the importance of preventive health. Health checks in general, vaccination and many specific areas fell. This pandemic forced us all to rethink what we want and where we are going. We learned to value something very simple like socializing with others, for example,” Dr. Eduardo Silvestre, pediatrician, Scientific Disseminator of Grupo Medihome, explained to Infobae.
For Silvestre, medicine is prevention rather than treatment. “We want people to get as little sick as possible and resume health checks postponed by the coronavirus. The pandemic increased the problem of several pre-existing diseases,” he clarified. The expert focused on the theme that the World Health Organization (WHO) held this year: “Our planet, our health”. Today, WHO is drawing global attention to the interconnection between the planet and our health and urges individuals, communities, governments and organizations around the world to protect our planet and our health.
“There are many diseases and deaths that are directly related to extreme temperatures. Here we know them as heat waves for example. The famous greenhouse effect and global warming of the planet increases the average temperature and generates great changes in temperatures, causing cold and heat waves that end up impacting health. This occurs in socially vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, children under 5 years of age and people with chronic diseases. They are problems related to these direct effects of climate on human health. There are indirect effects. For example, access to food and water. Climate change affects food production, storage conditions, etc. This causes alterations in food demand and supply,” said Silvestre.
Tips for increasing health
From the Argentine Society of Cardiology, experts offered some key tips to increase people's health, especially in times of pandemic.
-Increase the consumption of fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables and reduce the consumption of packages or ultra processed.
-Add legumes and whole grains to our diet that provide a lot of energy, fiber and protein.
-Increase the consumption of nuts and seeds, with a high content of healthy fats.
-Prefer water as the main drink to stay hydrated all day.
-Reduce salt intake and opt for natural seasonings, mushrooms and tomatoes to enhance the taste of meals.
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