Statistics Explained

Glossary:Healthcare

Healthcare in a country comprises the sum of activities performed either by institutions or individuals pursuing, through the application of medical, paramedical and nursing knowledge and technology, the purposes/core functions of:

  • promoting health and preventing disease;
  • curing illness and reducing premature mortality;
  • caring for persons affected by chronic illness who require nursing care;
  • caring for persons with health-related impairment, disability, and handicaps who require nursing care;
  • assisting patients to die with dignity;
  • providing and administering public health;
  • providing and administering health programs, health insurance and other funding arrangements.

Health-related functions such as the education and training of the health workforce, research and development in health, and environmental health should be distinguished from the core functions; as far as possible they should be excluded when measuring activities belonging to core healthcare functions.

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