Not merely the absence meaning

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.

1. Why was the WHO definition of health significant when it was written?
2. Does the absence of disease equate to a good state of health?
3. Why is the WHO definition of health Criticised?
4. What are the different definitions of health?

Why was the WHO definition of health significant when it was written?

The Constitution of the World Health Organization, which came into force on April 7, 1948, defined health “as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.” The writers of the Constitution were clearly aware of the tendency of seeing health as a state dependent on the presence or absence of diseases: so ...

Does the absence of disease equate to a good state of health?

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Why is the WHO definition of health Criticised?

Most criticism of the WHO definition concerns the absoluteness of the word “complete” in relation to wellbeing. ... New screening technologies detect abnormalities at levels that might never cause illness and pharmaceutical companies produce drugs for “conditions” not previously defined as health problems.

What are the different definitions of health?

For instance, the Oxford online dictionary (2016), defines health as: "a state of being, free from illness or injury [2]." Similarly, Merriam-Webster online dictionary (2016) defines health simply as: "the condition of being well or free from disease [3]." That is, the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit; ...