Work and health through the ages
Health: a valuable, perhaps the most valuable, asset that people can enjoy. But what exactly is health? For a long time, it was commonly agreed that healthy people, both in private and professional life, were those who showed no signs of any illness. In 1948, the World Health Organization revolutionized the concept of health by adopting the following definition: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.” In 1986, the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion went one step further, stating that “good health is a major resource for social, economic and personal development and an important dimension of quality of life.” This changing interpretation of the concept of “health” can also be seen in the history of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry in Basel.
Text by Michael Mildner
