Background: Health According to the World Health Organisation: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." Poverty is an important economic and social problem as it is both a cause and an effect of poor health. The poor suffer more and face more serious consequences from ill health. Health systems in many countries do not have the capacity to provide even basic health services to those most in need. The poor suffer even more when countries experience instability, as in countries affected by financial crisis, political crisis or environmental crisis. Many aspects of development programs aim to improve health. Education, water, sanitation, agricultural and food programs all assist in improving health. For example one of the most important health objectives in poor countries is access to safe water and effective sanitation to reduce water-borne diseases. "We cannot allow health to remain a secondary item on the international health agenda...We know that the vast majority of human suffering and early deaths in the world are poverty-related...Ill health leads to poverty and poverty breeds ill health. People in the developing countries carry 90% of the disease burden, yet have access to only 10% of the resources used for health." Source: Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director General, World Health Organisation, 1998. Contents Case Studies Health and development facts Background: Health Australian response to health and development The global agenda Other useful resources More links   © Commonwealth of Australia