Healthcare is the maintenance and restoration of health through the treatment and prevention of disease, usually carried out by trained and licensed professionals, in the case of medicine, dentistry, clinical psychology, and public health. Health is a foundational investment in a country's human capital. In human development parlance, is there a possibility that a child will live to see her fifth birthday and be ready to attend school? Will she grow to adulthood and be able to contribute productively to the society she lives? These two questions, and others, depend on the quality and the robustness of a nation's health and nutrition standards at every stage in its life. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 highlights healthy living and promoting well-being at all ages to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all by 2030. Better health is the cornerstone of human well-being and happiness. It is also a major driver of economic growth and progress. A healthy population is a productive population, a productive population raises the living standard of the people, and boosts overall well-being. Nordhaus (2002) noted that it is not extensively known that conservative measures of national income and output rule out the value of progress in the health status of the population.

"Health is wealth", as the saying goes, and good health means not only the absence of diseases in the body but a complete physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of an individual. In general, good health promotes good physical, mental, and social health. The benefits of good health cannot be overemphasized. Health is an investment with long-lasting implications for a good return, and this is evident in the fact that people with challenging health issues often die young. A healthy population also contributes to a healthy economy and to better living standards. South Africa has the third largest population with the highest healthcare expenditure as a percentage of GDP. Algeria, with a population of 43.8 million, spends 6.6% of its GDP on healthcare, and the life expectancy at birth is the highest among the SANE countries. Nigeria, with the highest population in Africa and ranked seventh highest in the world, according to the 2019 estimates by the World Bank, spends 3.4% of its GDP on healthcare, and the life expectancy is the lowest. Studies have shown that there is a positive relationship between higher expenditure on healthcare and higher life expectancy.

The role of healthcare in human capital formation is sacrosanct. A healthy individual can make themselves available for work with their full potential. A healthy person can effectively work to their full potential and can be productive in contributing to national economic growth and development. An unhealthy man becomes a liability to his workplace, and ultimately to his country, if not productive. In context, the development of human capital is also a function of the provision of a quality healthcare system. Good health raises the efficiency level of a worker and helps him to contribute to his full potential; it also increases the on-the-job learning capacity of the worker, and health is a necessary condition for realizing an individual's well-being. Bodgan (2016) identified health as an important form of human capital, and the study identified a link between health and economic growth as an important source of macroeconomic policy formulation. Conversely, healthcare can improve a worker's productivity by improving their physical capacity. But to be more accurate, improved health can improve a worker's ability to be more productive, and productivity is largely a factor in an employee's desire to work.

What Can Be Done.

On average, globally, workers with full-time employment spend more than one-third of their day, five days per week at the workplace. The use of effective workplace programs and policies can reduce health risks and improve the quality of life for all workers. Learn more about workplace health promotion and how to design, implement, and evaluate effective workplace health programs. There are over 3.5 billion workers worldwide. The World Health Organization (2019) is taking action by promoting efforts to build safer and healthier workplaces. By taking action, organizations are encouraged to support health equity among employees. Employers can not only build a healthier and more productive workforce but also improve employee retention, broaden their impact on families over generations, and help create a more just society. Additionally, increased engagement could help employers defray long-term costs. Lack of accessibility or affordable healthcare can prompt employees to consider a job search.

Studies conducted by the American Journal of Health Promotion (2017), only half of employers offer a health or wellness program. Well-being and higher productivity levels are top priorities for employees, and organizations are expected to get involved in the promotion of employee wellness in the workplace. Organizations that promote and sponsor healthcare and wellness programs tend to improve productivity and job performance, because healthier employees are happier employees. By understanding the types of well-being, employers can determine all the different ways they can promote their employees' health and wellness in the workplace.

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