Health & PHC

Health & PHC

Poor health is strongly related to poverty. Or more accurately, poverty of access to healthy resources – nutritious food, clean water, decent shelter. With uncontrolled industrial growth and income inequality these are big issues in the developed world too. Stress – which can equally affect the wealthy – is also a big factor in poor health.outside 
Healthcare is usually thought of in terms services by a doctor or hospital but really this is only partly related to good health. Aftter all, indigineous folk who still live on remote ancestral land know the local remedies for infections – and the myriad of chronic diseases currently afflicting the developed world are virtually unknown in such communities. The keys to a long and healthy life would appear to be discovered in the lifestyles of those who live in the so-called ‘blue zones'. In particular the very latest research shows the crucial importance of our microbiome for health – the bacteria we receive initially from our mother's birth canal and breast milk, and later, our food and the environment.
So improving the health of a country lies more with better water and sanitation, better food on plates. It also lies with better education of future mothers. And perhaps above all a good sense of community. Nevertheless the health sector plays an important role, which can grow in effectiveness at the level of the community.

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The following relevant books are available for download from this site: