[Social responsibility in health and the global health situation: towards new health and social indicators].

New approaches to social responsibility and health must be developed to ensure that scientific and technological progress contribute to justice, equity and the interest of humanity. The current state of health in several regions of the world is a matter of great concern. Using various indicators, composite indices have been developed that provide us with socio-medical, demographic and economic data and make it possible to analyse socio-health conditions worldwide. The Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights considers health as a social and human good and recommends better access to and improved quantities of quality health care and medicine, as well as access to drinking water. In order to implement these recommendations, we believe that current developments should be monitored utilising composite indices.