Health is integral to human well-being, which is the ultimate goal of development.
Health is not the same as health care or health services. Health is not a commodity but a social good. The terms health and development are best understood by exploring the economic, political, social, cultural, environmental, demographic, epidemiological, and biological factors in health and development. The determinants of health vary among societies and groups of people, and the paths to development vary according to local situations and needs. Health and development require the promotion of human righ ts, both political and civic, as well as economic, social, and cultural rights.