The Health of the Nation

Abstract

Action to promote the health of the whole community dates back to the earliest civilisations (Rosen, 1993). The Ancient Greeks recognised the links between location, environment, lifestyles, nutrition and the health of the community. The Romans too were aware of these factors, and sought to improve public health through large-scale engineering works such as water supply systems and sewers. Centuries later, the Victorians established a legislative and administrative framework which led to improvements in health through better housing, sanitation and a cleaner environment. But for most of the twentieth century, health policy has been mainly concerned with the provision of health care rather than with the promotion and maintenance of good health. This reflected to some extent the dominance of the biomedical approach over public health medicine (see Chapter 2).