Health and its Dimensions

The concept of Health was proposed at the beginning of 20th Century. Health was confined to the study of ‘Health of the Public’ and thus ‘Individual Health’ was neglected. Soon after this, a new concept, “health promotion” took shape with an aim that the State had a direct responsibility for the health of the individual. Health promotion includes the personal health services such as mother and child health, school health services, mental health services and rehabilitation services in addition to the disease control activities. The idea of health centres was initiated in England which was recommended by Bhore Committee in India for the establishment of health centres providing curative and preventive services (Park, 2008). With the advancement of preventive services, many acute problems were brought under control, but new health problems in the form of chronic diseases started emerging such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, alcoholism and drug abuse, etc. These problems gave a turn to the aspects of “disease and health” in the form of “social and behavioural health.” Gradually challenges of inequalities in health were noticed in developing and developed countries, large number of world’s population perhaps more than half, have no access to health care. Seeing this, WHO members in 1981 pledged themselves to an ambition target to provide “Health for All” by the year 2000, so that Pspchology and Health Promotion Edited by Prof. Radhey Shyam Prof. S. R. Khan