Health Is The First Wealth

September 26, 2008Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã'  Ã' Ã' Ã' 

Today's Word : Ã'  health - the condition of being sound in body, mind or spirit; freedom from physical disease or pain; the general condition of the body; well-being

Ralph Waldo Emerson noted that health was the 'first wealth.' We've all heard the phrase 'if you don't have your health, you don't have anything.'

Health is primarily a scientific challenge, because it depends on how much we know or can find out about preventing disease, improving nutrition and curing ailments. But the major problem of public health is the problem of rising costs. Whether for the education of doctors, the provision of sufficient good food, the maintenance of preventive measures or care facilities, money is the root of concern.

In the United States, the average family is seeing increasing costs for health care. It is estimated that more than 10 percent of the average citizen's income is spent on health.

What's driving this increase?

• Intensity of services - The nature of health care in the U.S. has changed dramatically over the past century with longer life spans and greater prevalence of chronic illnesses.Ã' 
• Prescription drugs and technology - Spending on prescription drugs and the major advancements in health care technology have been cited as major contributors to the increase in overall health spending.Ã' 
• Aging of the population - Health expenses rise with age and as the baby boomers are now in their middle years, some say that caring for this growing population has raised costs.Ã' This trend will continue as the baby boomers will begin qualifying for Medicare in 2011 and many of the costs are shifted to the public sector.
• Administrative costs - 7% of health care expenditures are for administrative costs (e.g. marketing, billing) and this portion is lower in the Medicare program (<2%), which is operated by the federal government.

Rotary is tackling health issues across the globe. The most notable current global project, PolioPlus, is contributing to the global eradication of polio . Since beginning the project in 1985, Rotarians have contributed over $600 million and tens of thousands of volunteer-hours, leading to the inoculation of more than two billion of the world's children.

While we struggle with health care issues in the U.S., we must be mindful that health-care issues around the world are more fundamental in nature. Clean water to drink, nutritious food to eat, disease curing medicines, health-related literacy programs are part of Rotary's Make Dreams Real focus.

Health is not valued until sickness comes. While it doesn't insure happiness, there's not much happiness without it. While there's health there's hope, and while there's hope at least there's healthy thinking. Remember our mission this year..let's spread health, so the world has hope.

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Yours in Service,

SteveÃ' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã' Ã'