Health and Equity

Effecting change

Tags: India , Knowledge Platform
Additional tags: Public health , Equity and health , Effecting change

Human history is replete with examples of the struggle between the two contradictory traits of human nature which differentiate us from all other species. At one extreme is greed which demands instant gratification regardless of the long-term consequence to self or others. And yet all prophets and wise men have preached the suppression of this unfortunate trait which leads to unhappiness and which now poses a threat even to the long term survival of our own and other species.
Health in its wider concept covers a gamut of social and economic aspects of human activities such as nutrition, education and environment. Hence attempts at improving health by focussing on an individual component such as curative medicine can only serve as a temporary patchwork arrangement without appreciation of the many other factors and above all of the socio-political forces which underlie both health as well as illness care. This paper will assess the magnitude, direction, and impact of changes in
the health sector in India.