Abstract

VELEZ ARANGO, Alba Lucía. NEW DIMENSIONS OF THE CONCEPT OF HEALTH: THE RIGHT TO HEALTH IN THE SOCIAL STATE OF LAW. Hacia promoc. Salud [online]. 2007, vol.12, n.1, pp.63-78. ISSN 0121-7577.

The object of the present article is to analyze the different conceptions of health, from its restrictive vision as the absence of disease promulgated from the definition given by the World Health Organization (WHO) “Complete physical, mental and social welfare state and not only the absence of affections or diseases”, and its advance to more integral concepts, that conceive health as a prior part of the basic goods necessary for the individual to develop his/her potentials. In this manner, concepts such as vital minimum, quality of life, health in its perspective of capacity, now have a major usage, especially keeping in mind the advances that on this respect have had the pronouncements of the Constitutional Court as a guardian of the constitutional norms and the protection to the right of health. The following question arises: the conceptual advance in the concept of health under de basic category of life goes beyond the natural and biological territory, facilitating new social and economic responsibility dynamics and, lastly, finding happiness for citizens, as health ideals?

Keywords : Health; right to health; legislation; health services; quality of life; jurisprudence; human rights; judicial role; activities of dally life.

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