At different times in our lives, we will think about our health and the health of those around us. If asked, we would all agree that health matters. This is health’s ‘intrinsic value’.
Being in good health is also important for what it allows us to do for ourselves, our families, communities and society. This is health’s ‘instrumental value’. Of course, the opposite of these points is also true. Being in poor health is intrinsically bad, and it brings costs and limitations for individuals, families and society.
Given that health is so evident as a value—as something that matters—why do we need to ask what health means? It is because ‘health’ is a surprisingly slippery term and to achieve good health policy we need to understand it better.