Health in the history of Europe

Published for the "Health in the history of Europe" exposition, organized by the History of Science Department at Institució Milá i Fontanals (CSIC) (Milá and Fontanals Institution) and the Residence for Researchers, held at Residence for Researchers Auditorium.

In Western world, health has been a matter of human concern, at least, for the great civilizations.

From the second millennium of our era, sanitary strategies have been carried out to such an extend that they exceeded the narrow limits of privileged social segments to reach the whole community. During the last two centuries and a half, public health protection and promotion were no more an aim reachable only by those developed cities and states but they have become a fundamental ambition and an essential right of humankind worldwide.

"Health in the history of Europe" wants to offer now, when the Health World Organization celebrates it 50th anniversary, a panoramic vision intending to explain the meaning of the efforts that have been made during the last thousand years of European history to obtain a complete state of physical, mental and social welfare.