Be Wise, Be Healthy - Literary Analysis Essay

Introduction

The book Be Wise! Be Healthy! Morality and Citizenship in Canadian Public Health Campaigns was written by C.Carstairs, B. Philpott, and Wilmshurst. The book argues that public health is majorly in the hands of the public. Something that I agree with. For the general public to live healthy it all starts with them, from the food we eat to observing general hygiene. "Health citizenship" as phrased by the author is the citizen's responsibility to live a healthy live and take care of themselves. Though the author argues it's the citizen's responsibility and emphasizes on the public health campaign as the most effective way to public health. The book purports that for a health society there is need to make the general population aware of health issues and how to deal with them, for its not negligence but lack of information that contributes mostly to an unhealthy society. The author throughout the book emphasizes a lot on health campaigns citing quite a handful of campaigns that made a huge difference throughout history for instance diphtheria was curbed in the 1920s by health campaigns (Carstairs, Philpott & Wilmshurst, n.d.). The book looks and creates tension and synergies on clinical and public health, but there is need to question whether public health is the most appropriate way to a healthy society.

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The book majorly covers the 20th century major health issues with great analysis to the post world war II health issues. The analysis of the campaigns is quite illuminating in eradicating major diseases in history and clearly shows the power of health campaigns in the fight against decease. History may it be of what defines the present and has a very big implication on how the future turns out. Studying of past wins and failures in disease eradication I believe helps greatly in telling us how to handle decease that are currently affecting us.

The book looks at how the health sector shifted from looking health from an environmental perspective into a civil perspective and had tremendous positive results. In the 1920's people vied diseases such as venereal diseases to be caused by the environment. The shift from this school of thought helped dig deeper on to what caused these diseases and what the public could do to curb them (Kealey et al, 2018). Civil heath is key to a societal progression in the health sector but I also believe the government should also come in, a fact that has been greatly overlooked in the book. Health sometimes can be expensive and despite someone knowing what to do might be unable due to financial constraints.

The arguments in the book are very solid and factual, the author gives clear support to their claims. For instance venereal diseases were believed to be caused by the environment. A fact but doctor Gordon Bates did research and proved otherwise and after holding campaigns and educating the public the disease was curbed and cures developed. The author in this book basis their argument on facts and historical events that have happened in the past hence giving solid arguments that are hard to overlook.

During the pasteurization of milk Bates ignored the role poverty played in the campaign against diseases, which saw to a very dramatic outcome between provinces. The cases of diphtheria in Ontario and Toronto reduced drastically which wasn't the case to the rest of the country (Kealey, 2018).). In this same instance we also see the role played by social institutions in health. Schools and the church helped greatly in the vaccination and in the campaign against diphtheria in collaboration with the Toronto diphtheria committee. The book emphasizes too in the part played by social institution in campaigns on health sensitization. There was also the use of the press and media in the campaigns which also helped greatly spread the word as seen even in the modern world.

The book clearly shows that public health through much of the 20th century is not just an individual obligation but a social and moral duty to society (UBS Press, 2020). Diseases can be transmitted and being healthy very much affects those around you, some people are carries of diseases but aren't affected by them but still have the capability to transmit these diseases, by making sure that the population is health and that such people are treated will lead to a healthier population. The importance of public health cannot be overemphasized it's critical for a healthy and prosperous population.

Despite the authors augment and emphasis on health citizenship, and all the great result achieved through campaigns to eradicate decease throughout Canada and the world at large, we cannot afford to overlook the controversy that come with this paradigm. People from poor backgrounds will feel marginalized and will feel that the reason for their derailed health is purely due to their inability to look after themselves. Poor health and poverty are intertwined but nevertheless not the poor persons fault in entirety. Good health leads to a more productive nation in terms of the workforce and hence ensuring a healthy nation also leads to a better economic

Civil health can be considered as preventive health in. In World War II there was a great emphasis on health for adult men through nutrition exercise and prevention of decease.(Mrazek, 2019). The book greatly advocates for the preventive health paradigm. Through preventive health, diseases can be diagnosed early and hence early treatment which saves a lot of lives, the productivity at the work place and the nation at large can also be maintained and money can be saved too, though in most cases it's more expensive rather than cheaper and for a fact not affordable to the poor, there is also the issue of false positives and acceptance of some diagnosis which are some of the disadvantages of preventive health care (Gavin publishers, 2020). Preventive care is important, that primary want to stay healthy is very critical for a healthy population.

Campaigns on quit smoking, go to the gym, and eat healthy have greatly enhanced the health of Canadians, that's a fact. Going for frequent checkups and taking frequent advice from the doctor also helps diagnose decease at an early stage and hence help curb them before they advance too much hence cutting cost, But despite the civil responsibility of the citizen to look after themselves I feel the government should step in and try by all means to enhance clinical health and make it affordable because I believe it's only through collaboration of clinical health ,public health financed and regulated by the government that we can have the a better nation health wise.

References

Kealey, L., Carstairs, C., Philpott, B., & Wilmshurst, S. (2018). Labour / Le Travail, 82, 264-266. doi:10.2307/26551551

Kealey, L. (2018). [Review of the book Be Wise!Be Healthy! Morality and Citizenship in Canadian Public Health Campaigns, by Catherine Carstairs, Bethany Philpott, and Sara Wilmshurst]. Labour / Le Travail 82, 264-266. doi:10.1353/llt.2018.0049.

Mrazek, C. (2019). Be Wise! Be Healthy! Morality and Citizenship in Canadian Public Health Campaigns by Catherine Carstairs, Bethany Philpott, and Sara Wilmshurst. Canadian Bulletin Of Medical History, 36(2), 489-491. doi: 10.3138/cbmh.298-112018

UBC Press | Be Wise! Be Healthy! - Morality and Citizenship in Canadian Public Health Campaigns, By Catherine Carstairs, Bethany Philpott and Sara Wilmshurst. (2020). Retrieved 11 February 2020, from https://www.ubcpress.ca/be-wise-be-healthy

Advances in Preventive Medicine and Health Care (ISSN: 2688-996X) - Gavin Publishers. (2020). Retrieved 11 February 2020, from https://www.gavinpublishers.com/journals/journals_details/advances-in-preventive-medicine-and-health-care

Carstairs, C., Philpott, B., & Wilmshurst, S. Be wise! Be healthy!.