Toward an Economic and Environmental Sustainability of the Health Systems of Western Countries

Andres J. Ursa Herguedas

A chapter in Environmental Factors Affecting Human Health from IntechOpen

Abstract: One of the pillars of well-being, together with education and social coverage, is health. The various health systems currently existing in the world, both in advanced countries and in developing countries, do not comply with the principle of equity and, therefore, the Charter of Human Rights, by not universally covering the entire population. The great economic differences continue to feed off the poorest. The causes of mortality are still different between both worlds. The objective of this contribution is to sensitize political leaders at the international level, so that they adopt global agreements on the adequate use of energy, access to health and universal education to benefit the planet and its population. Integrative medicine, implemented in advanced and developing countries, with the use of conventional and unconventional treatments, the latter endorsed with scientific studies, has shown in recent decades that increases the preventive and curative possibilities, reduces the effects side effects of medication and contributes to environmental and economic sustainability. International health agencies should consider the proposal of incorporating integrative medicine into health systems and allocate financial resources to validate those techniques or procedures that do not yet enjoy scientific evidence. The population and political leaders must be sensitized by the state through which the planet Earth passes, in order to take large-scale measures to address socio-economic and environmental crises.

Keywords: welfare state; universal health; integrative medicine; environmental sustainability; climate change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q51 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ito:pchaps:192529

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.88384

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