Sanjay Kalra  ( Department of Endocrinology, Bharti Hospital, Karnal, India )
Varun Arora  ( Department of Community Medicine, Pt BDS PGIMS, Rohtak, india )
Madhur Verma  ( Department of Family Medicine and Community Medicine, AIIMS, Bathinda, India. )
Vijay Kumar  ( Department of Geriatric Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, India. )

Respected Madam, We thank Ali A. Asadi-Pooya for his comments¹ regarding the necessity for a novel definition of health.² Imam Sadjad’s concept of health is relevant even in today’s rapidly changing world. The discipline of medicine serves to promote health. As Ibn Sina says.³

“Medicine is the science by which we learn the various states of the human body, in health, when not in health, the mean by which health lost, is likely to be restored to health.”

It is important to have a robust definition of health. This will serve as a target, as a tactic to achieve that target, and as a monitoring tool to assess adequacy of our technique. Continued discussion and debate on this topic will advance the cause of health, and ensure a healthier world for us and for coming generations.

References

1.       Asadi-Pooya AA. A novel definition of health: Crafting a contemporary classic. J Pak Med Assoc 2022;3:599.

2.       Kalra S, Arora V, Verma M, Kumar V. A novel definition of health: Crafting a contemporary classic. J Pak Med Assoc 2021; 71: 2490-91.

3.       Khan MA, Raza F, Khan IA. Ibn sina and the roots of the seven doctrines of preservation of health. AMHA-Acta medico-historica Adriatica. 2015; 13:87-102.