We all desire to be healthy, but often remain unaware of this desire unless we experience illness ourselves or encounter someone around us who is unwell. Health is more of a perception, feeling, or conformity than a clearly defined state. We all express our ardent desire to be healthy. We have used many mass media approaches to conceptualise health. Postage stamps are also one such medium, that have changed with the times.
This 1936 Safeguard health postage stamp, is from New Zealand. A happy child is face of health, and the designer has used a float as a safeguard. New Zealand started its health charity issues, beginning 1929. The earliest 1929 issue raised money for tuberculosis, and the subsequent ones for the children’s health camps. Those in my collection from this series are in a separate blog (click here).
The definition of health
The modern definition of health is tricky and is often contested. It is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity” by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1948.
On 2nd October 1951, Indian postal department issued health charity issues. Since these were not included in the postal tarrif, these are Cinderella stamps. Here health is depicted as a playful duo, playing colour as in festival of Holi. The second stamp in the 1951 cinderella issue. This 4 anna stamp has a peasant couple. These cinderella stamps raised money for Tuberculosis control.
However, this WHO definition has been controversial, especially with the advent of so many chronic conditions over the last 75 years. Can we really ever be in a state of “complete” physical, mental and social well being. In this sense, is health a reality or a mere utopia.
Health is important for every nation. A cinderella stamp from India (1951), postage stamps from South Africa (1979), Canada (1958), Ceylon or SriLanka(1972), and Australia (1988) portray different facets of health.
Is perfect health a utopia ?
No human being is perfect, yet health aspires to be in a “complete” or “perfect” state. Currently, approximately 40% of all adults are either overweight or obese, 30% use tobacco, 25% have hypertension, 15% have fatty liver disease, and 8% have diabetes.
A travelled First day cover and a postage stamp from Canada (1958). The stamp has a slogan “Health Guards the Nation” The concepts of health have undergone a sea change, since this 1958 postage stamp.
About 80% of all individuals over the age of 60 will develop osteoarthritis, and 75% of those over 75 are likely to experience at least one stroke event. With each advance in medical science, the achievement of perfect health becomes more aspirational. Chronic conditions and their risk factors are abundant and we will continue identify them. Thus, health is at risk of being overwhelmed by disease.
An Agency issue (2002) for Maldives. “Healthy Bear” is a toy. We may be able to create a perfect utopian toy, but can we have such a human with a perfect health. Will a nurse, a doctor or a dentist be enough for healthy bears?
Mental and social wellbeing is even more tricky. It depends on factors such as community involvement, livelihood, employment, education, peace, fulfilment, and recreation. These factors are beyond medical science. Yet, provision of health is often considered as a deliverable outcome of medical sciences. This is rather strange. Entire medical system has a focus on identification of disease, and by some magic we expect that it will deliver a “complete” health. In this context, we must ask ourselves meaning of rhetorics such as “health-for-all” or “universal-health-coverage”. Nonetheless, we will always want ourselves, societies, environment, economies and even governance to be in a state of perfect health.
Heath, and Well-being
Various terms are used to denote health. These include “happiness”, “wellness”, “wellbeing”, and “quality of life”. While happiness is an emotional state, wellbeing refers to individuals, and wellness to societal measures. Quality of life is a matrix of physical health, psychological state, personal beliefs, social relationships and their relation to environment. Societies have portrayed behaviours, that are most likely to improve wellbeing. In context of chronic disease prevention, wellness behaviours revolve around what we eat, how active we are, and how we can avoid addictions.
A 1994 set of three postage stamps from Israel, with a collectable margin, prescribe three recipes for well-being – Eat sensibly, do not smoke and Exercise regularly. Postage stamp show our behaviour, and margins a desirable action.
Healthy eating
Healthy foods of today, are natural and fresh fruits and vegetables, devoid of preservatives and chemicals, and rich in vitamins and minerals. Fresh fruits and vegetables, bring us close to nature, are also a rich source of anti-oxidants.
There is enough scientific evidence about health benefits of fruits and vegetables. Some postage stamp identify such fruits and vegetables as an essential ingredient on our road to health. These ingredients are part of Mediterranean diets, that have a lower cardiovascular risk.
A set of three postage stamps from Romania (2012) with a caption “Live Healthy” These postage stamps depict fresh and colorful fruits and vegetables
A set of four postage stamps from Romania (2013) with a slogan “Live healthy”. These stamps depict, honey, walnuts, hazelnuts, and berries. These components of Mediterranean diet, are considered to promote health. A miniature sheet on Endemic fruits from Niuafo’ou (2001). Niufo’ou is an island in kingdom of Tonga, has a population of about 431. Since it was difficult to reach these islands, passing ships used to throw mail, sealed in a tin-box, for swimmers to catch. Hence, this island is also known as a “Tin-can islands”. A postage stamp from Australia (1987) from a set of three, that shows colourful fruitsThis postage stamp from Papua New Guinea (1982) identifies healthy foods. A mother is depicted with her child, to promote healthy habits early in life.
Regular physical activity
History of mankind was always about food security, and driving off malnutrition. In last fifty years, we are more concerned about sedentariness and a gain in weight. Regular leisure time physical activity, for at least 150 minutes in a week, provides agility, increases muscle strength, and helps prevent as well as control our blood pressures and blood sugars. Postage stamps have often emphasised on both physical activity, and fitness in our journey on road to health.
In 1952, China issued a set of postage stamps on various physical activity postures. In 1951, Mao had introduced mandatory physical activity, that were led by radio-broadcasts. These radio calisthenics continue to be part of routine in China. These exercises have a dual purpose of promoting health as well as patriotism. A set of four stamps and first day cover from Canada (1974). These stamps identify hiking, cycling, swimming and running as family engagements. Physical activity in postage stamps. A postage stamp from Kenya-Uganda-Tanzania (1974) identifies poor strength as ill health and malnutrition. Others from United States (1965), Korea (1961), Singapore (2017), and Australia (1980) suggest importance of physical activity. In 1979 Spain issued a set of three stamps on promotion of physical activity. The stamps titled “sports for all” show running, skipping, and cycling. Entire family and even a pet are engaged in physical activity.A postage stamp from Kyrgyzstan (2020) carries an image of a person on a cycle, with a slogan “use your cars less”
Health and Nature
Physical activity and exposure to sunlight, and being close to nature is another important aspect off health. Being close to nature, helps our minds as well as bodies. Before advent of antibiotics, and many other medicines – this was the only remedy against most diseases. Healthy geography (or a scenic place, at a high altitude, or with a healing water) is a dominant concept in many countries.
A postage stamp from Luxembourg (1939) on health-bath – or a bath in one of the hot water springs. Such springs are abundant in Southern Europe. A set of four postage stamps from Hungary (2012) on hot water spas across the country. A first day cover and postage stamps from Israel (1979), shows two hot-water springs (dead-sea and Tibernas), as health resorts.
Since ancient times, some places are attributed with healing powers. In India many pilgrimages have a health-outcome focus. In Europe, many people visit hot-water or sulphur springs – for health and for cure from various ailments. Both naturopathy and thermal medicine have both current as well as historic importance in our pathway to health.
A set of four stamps from India released in 2020. First stamp in this miniature sheet is about using natural remedies to stay healthy. Other related development themes on which ‘health’ depends are about environment, education and self reliance.
Healthy environment
In 1993, United Nations issued a set of four stamps on Health and Environment. The above two stamps portrays green circle, where there are trees, and orange circle where there are none. The stamps below identify healthy water bodies and atmosphere. These were issued on 45 years of World Health Organisation. Green movement started in the 1960s has taken root across the world. Green is the new health. Bicycles are shown as good for environment, but also for health. Above two postage stamps are from Gibraltar, 2016.
Healthy communities
We desire health, not only at the level of an individual, but also at the level of communities. Individuals who are part of healthy communities, are healthy themselves. Community health postage stamps have a focus on community wide actions. Better health indices in a community, contribute to such indices for individuals.
Community Health postage stamps from Australia (1990) identify absence of Junk food, consuming healthy diets, medical check-ups and coming cessation as health messages. A set of postage stamps from Niuafoou (1987) identify balanced diet, post-natal care, reducing insects and saying No to drugs as best buys for community health. This postage stamp from Algeria, identifies three panels. The top one has excessive sugars, salt and fats as hazards to human health. The middle one identifies balanced diet, movement and physical activity as foundations of health. The last on identifies vaccination and cleanliness as basis of prevention. Issued in 2023. As we move from disease to health – We wish get-well. A get-well postage stamp with a special private cover – United States (1987)
As we seek health, and attempt to keep illnesses at bay, we need to remember that disease is a rare event. As we strive to attain a perfect health, we must remember that all human beings have inherent imperfections. We live with and continue to resolve all these contradictions, as we progress in our journey on road to health.
This 2022 postage stamp from Luxembourg, has greener cities as its caption.
