Health for Us

Health for Us

by Dewi Erita

I woke up this morning, got out of bed, drank a glass of water, and went to the bathroom where I used the toilet, washed my hands, brushed my teeth, and took a bath. After I was ready to go, I walked out my door into the crisp clean air. I walked through the small way to the UI station and passed the forest. I got at LBI Depok about 20 minutes walking. I paid little attention to the “no smoking” signs at the entrance. I continued to step on the stairs until 4^th floor. I arrived safely in my well-ventilated class and got ready to learn English for Academic Purposes (EAP). It wasn’t a very eventful morning, but then it’s all in a morning’s work can explain health (Riegelman, 2010).

Hand washing largely eliminate the transmission of common bacterial disease, which so often killed the baby, toddler, and young people for centuries. Teeth brushing have made impact on our teeth and gums that is for dental health of children and adults. Walking as the role of exercise can reduce at least half in hearth disease. The physical environment such as improvement in quality of the air we breathe both outdoors and indoors is good for lung (Riegelman, 2010). Then, what is health?

In the past, health concern is about communicable disease such as common cold, pneumonia, measles, mumps, pertussis, typhoid, diarrhea and anything about physical health. Currently, health doesn’t only about physical thing. Based on WHO (1948), health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. So, what affects health?

Health is affected by environment, lifestyle, medical care, and heredity. As we know that physician is to cure patient, nurse is to care patient, dentist is to cure teeth and gums, pharmacist is to provide drugs. All of that profession take care of  person individually. So, what does profession take care about many people? That is public health. What is public health?

Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organized community effort (Winslow, 1920). Public health work for population  health.

To conclude, there are several things that we are supposed to practice. Doing regular exercise such as sports, jogging, walking, and bicycling; hand washing after using toilet and before eating; teeth brushing twice a day; and avoid smoking. Health is a simple thing that we practice to do it everyday.

Depok, May 19th 2017

References:

Riegelman, R.K., 2010. Public health 101: healthy people - healthy populations. Jones & Bartlett Learning, Canada.

WHO, 1948. WHO Definition of Health [WWW Document]. URL http://www.who.int/about/definition/en/print.html (accessed 1.6.17).

Winslow, C.E.A., 1920. The Untilled Fields of Public Health.

(This draft has been presented in EAP class at LBI UI Depok on May 20th, 2017)