Some good news about health

Whenever there is positive news regarding the decline of ailments, based on credible medical research and academic study, it is cause for rejoicing. Everyone wins. One such case is the report from a study conducted by Dr. Lara Akinbami and colleagues of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland. Their findings reveal that the asthma prevalence among kids under 18 which had been rising for decades, dropped to 8.3% from 9.3%, starting from 2013. This report can be found online in the December 28, 2015 journal Pediatrics.

While this study was conducted in the US, they say that it shows a general trend internationally. Some medical doctors attribute this trend to the manufacturing of newer medicines and more aggressive management of the ailment. A sobering thought, however, is that the study finds that low level income children continue to be predisposed to asthmatic attacks, and cite environmental risk factors like tobacco exposure, poor indoor air quality, dust mite, cockroach infestation, and obesity as the culprits.

Is it realistic to constantly expect good news about health? Starting from a material, or matter based perspective, industrialisation bringing pollution, civilisation resulting in what has been termed ‘lifestyle diseases’, and increasing wealth resulting in consumption of unhealthy foods and drinks, the answer would be no. If however the perspective shifts and the basis for expecting to hear good news about health is defined more spiritually, there just might be hope yet for the health of mankind.

What is the spiritual basis? In the book Science and Health with key to the Scriptures, author, Mary Baker Eddy, discovered that it is possible to be healthy and remain consistently healthy, by accepting the spiritual status of individuals as the basis of existence. This enables man to realize he is not like a pendulum, swinging between sickness and health; and, accepting spiritual qualities as the makeup of individuals, expecting good rather than evil reports, determines not only the state of health but longevity as well. Spirituality is expressed in qualities such as moderation, temperance and so on, which in turn impact health for good. Many individuals are finding that starting from the spiritual basis not only improves the quality of their lives and their morals, but their health also.

The issue of healthcare is not the sole domain of medical professionals; it involves everyone, from governments to corporations to individuals. More and more, those who adopt the spiritual perspective are found to have relevant and important contributions in this discussion. So while the good news about the decline in childhood asthma cases is cause for gratitude, how much more if there is always good news about health.

m_asolanke@hotmail.com