Lesson 1 Introduction

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Health is:

“a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

Physical health (ability to maintain health or recover to a healthy state after disease) is the main focus of this unit.

  • Diseases can influence, change, or even disrupt some of your body functions, including even after recovery.
  • Diseases can even influence your mental and social well-being.

Diseases can be classified based on the way someone can get them

Communicable diseases

  • An ill person/animal/plant can pass the disease to another person
  • Caused by a pathogen

Non-Communicable diseases

  • Not transmitted between humans
  • Caused by genes, environment, behaviour