The foundation of a balanced, just and healthy society is supported above all by three main pillars: education, health and justice. Today I will touch on the first two things.
As for education, without sufficient and constant knowledge of the real needs of the population, an ordinary citizen becomes a mere spectator on the stage, sometimes poor and ridiculous, of those who try to run our country, thinking that they are doing it better than anyone else. else. Without organized knowledge, people hide behind their illiteracy and leave the power to make a difference to others. Moreover, appropriate education enhances employment, security, and social inclusion, among many other factors.
In terms of health, we shouldn’t only think about the structures and professionals we turn to when we need care. Health is much more than that. It starts with the person! It begins with your ability to know how to think about the health of yourself and your loved ones. Health literacy – and this is where education comes in again – is the foundation of a healthy society. If a citizen has the ability to make basic decisions, but based on scientifically tested knowledge and applied with results, he will certainly adapt risky behaviors and choose healthy actions that enhance his health and prevent potential diseases.
Although citizens are often aware of the drawbacks and dangers of certain behaviors, such as, for example, that smoking can induce lung cancer, their responsibility does not end with themselves, but begins with others. Well, this is not usually caused by social selfishness, where you only think about yourself and don’t worry about others. This is also healthy illiteracy and a lack of respect for social norms and values. In order to change such behaviors in future generations, it is necessary to work in a network, which no longer has isolated country structures, operates as independent states and without relations with its partners.
Government ministries are sometimes a clear example of what we shouldn’t have. But there are exceptions! One of the best examples we have in Portugal is the National Network for Integrated Continuous Care, where two ministries (Health, Labour, Solidarity and Social Security) were able together to provide the best possible response to people in need of health care and in need of social support. This procedure must be repeated for many other facts. An example would be, in schools, family economics to help students, from an early age, learn how to run a home (many content is offered that cannot be applied in everyday life and only serves to discourage learning).
Politics as one of the foundations of social thinking that must also be introduced in compulsory education – without understanding its definition and purpose, we underestimate its value and always accuse the other of our disappointments in nation-building. And why not, we appreciate stigmatized mental health, which is important to all of us, because we know that at some point in our lives we will also need help in this area. Schools, together with the Ministry of Health, must, from an early age, be involved in promoting this area which, although it has made some progress politically in recent years, is still close to being poor. Health and education are essential areas of our society and do not work in isolation for the good of all. The recent pandemic was our biggest and best example where residents were taught how to take care of their health. After all it is possible…
*University professor and former president of the Ordem dos Enfermeiros (2012-2016)
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