BlessWorld Foundation International

Affecting the World Through Health
A Global Health Initiative

Health is Wealth: A contextual discussion in recent reality of Covid-19

18.10.2020

Uncategorized

Everyone has probably heard the popular saying, “health is wealth”. Indeed, this is true because health is considered an invaluable possession without which life becomes miserable and burdensome. To better understand this saying, it is important to consider the  meaning and significance of the two major  words that make it up. According to the World Health Organization, Health does not only mean the absence of disease but a complete physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. It also includes having a healthy and enabling environment which makes it easier to make healthier choices and lead healthier lives. On the other hand, Wealth is defined as large amounts of money, valuable possessions, properties or other forms of riches. Wealth, like health, is an essential need and it’s possession almost always  guarantees a life of satisfaction, happiness, success , contentment and freedom from lack.

Many people share in the belief that “health is wealth” because no matter how much wealth one acquires, it is impossible to enjoy it without good health. Therefore, the happiness and satisfaction that comes with wealth is unattainable without health.Equating health to wealth implies that good health is all one needs to be happy and live a fulfilling life that would otherwise be attributed to wealth. This was further proved to be true in the the light of the recent Covid-19 pandemic as no amount of wealth could buy or guarantee freedom from coronavirus infection. The pandemic showed that health was invaluable because it couldn’t be bought with any amount of wealth and wealthy people died helplessly. It is important to note that many people prioritize wealth over health and are in  constant struggle and stress to acquire  wealth. Such people often compromise or lose their health entirely- they clearly take health for granted and do not share in the ideology that “ health is wealth”, hence, the need to chase wealth at the expense of  health. They believe that without wealth, health is meaningless as there may be hardships and unhappiness due to lack of resources. Consequently, “Health is Wealth” can be viewed  as a mindset and may represent an unrealistic worldview and approach to life in general.

Although simple and seemingly straightforward, “Health is Wealth”  is an ancient adage  that is filled  with deep wisdom and immense meaning.  As a worldview, people hold varying opinions of the phrase; Some believe that wealth is everything and can buy anything including intangibles like health, love and happiness. However, this is false; health has been seen to be more valuable than wealth in all societies around the world. Diseases and of course, Covid-19 exist as a constant reminder that no amount of money, influence or resources can save anyone from death. Health is wealth because without it, no one can enjoy anything in life. Health is wealth because without it no one would be able to work productively and therefore, there would be little chances and opportunities of acquiring wealth . To generate income, one has to work and that cannot be done without good health. Therefore, health is also very necessary for generating wealth which is thus dependent on it.

For the majority of us,  ‘Wealth’ means having lots of money and properties such as lands, houses, luxury cars, farms, precious stones or things that have monetary value.. But this limits the scope and vision of the term ‘Wealth’. To broaden the meaning, we recall that the ‘knowledge’ and ‘experience’ are termed  ‘Wealth’. which although their value can bring money , does not directly translate to money. 

The  following reiterate that truly, “Health is Wealth”

  • Health is the Foundation for Wealth: Health promotes wealth because a healthy person is more active, intelligent and efficient, and this directly affects income and wealth creation
  • Health is an Investment with Good Returns: Healthy people are more likely to live longer than unhealthy people , and the longer one lives the more they enjoy their wealth.
  • Health is a means to Better Living: Good health naturally empowers the body to maximize its potential physically, psychologically, emotionally, spiritually and financially
  • Healthy Mind Stays in a Healthy Body: Intelligence, creativity, humour, humility, self-esteem, communication, conscience and other aspects of the mind are dependent on a healthy lifestyle
  • Money Saved is Money Earned: Good health saves the money which could be used to treat illnesses, people have gone bankrupt from treatment costs

In conclusion, having the mindset that “Health is Wealth” and prioritizing health issues are ways to uphold the adage while laziness, poor time management and carefreeness are ways to derail ones health.By stressing the dynamic relationship between health and wealth, we illustrate how BlessWorld Foundation, works to improve health systems through the World Health Initiative project and many other programs. Our organization maintains that the health sector should not be viewed as a mere drain on resources but rather  a precursor of economic gains and wealth.

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