Facts and figures
Facts
- Health
spending in Switzerland amounted to CHF 38 billion in 1998.
- Today, it
amounts to over CHF 54 billion (Federal Office of Statistics, 2006).
- Over 95 per cent of the costs are incurred in the health sector
(stationary and ambulatory treatments, medication, etc.).
Health
In 1948 the World Health Organisation WHO defined health as a state of
complete physical, mental and social well-being. Social medicine's
modern concept of health presents health as a dynamic equilibrium that
can be influenced positively or negativels. Our health is directly
affected by
- our individual living conditions (such as habits, relationship, genetic material, etc.)
- the education
- the occupation
- the social status
- the income
- the housing (equipment, space, safety, etc.)
- the environment (climate, pollutions, natural disasters, etc.)
- the health care system
- political decisions
- economic situation of the society
- etc.
Health promotion
The Ottawa Charter
approved in 1986 is considered the most essential health promotion
paper. The primary objective of health promotion is to be a "process
intended to enable all to attain a higher level of self-determination
concerning their health". Each and every individual is to be enabled to
improve their personal health.
Health promotion means to
- develop overall salutogenic policies
- create healthy environments
- support health-related joint activities
- develop personal skills (health potential)
- re-orient health services and schoolbook medicine
