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Abstract

This review is an attempt to describe the important roleof Social Medicine in current medical practice based on across sectional exploratory research of literature on thetopic.Promoting research activities among medicalundergraduates and graduates regarding Social Medicineand its role to improve global health is recognized by theWorld Health Organization (WHO), because it helps toimprove the education system and health of populations.Hundreds of millions of people around the world aregetting sick or even dying because they sought medicaltreatment and its cost the healthcare providers a lot ofmoney worldwide but does not provide better health forthe population. It is a long standing challenge for medicalprofessionals to promote health globally with a focus on asustainable, cost effective, and affordable health deliverysystem. WHO has clearly defined that to meet thischallenge “better health for all” primary health care shouldbe based on sustainable and affordable quality health care,accessible for individual and families without anydiscrimination in society.Social Medicine has a common perception to be shared byevery society of the world: that to improve the health ofthe population, certain community-based research andacademic activities in health systems based on social roleof the society may influence the attitude of the individualsand medical practices. Present medical education focusesat molecular levels and there is a gap between socialanalysis and everyday clinical practices. Social andeconomic determinants profoundly impact health, disease,and the practice of medicine in society. Social Medicineaims to understand, how social and economic condition ofan individual and families influence health and disease aswell as the practice of medicine, and fosters conditions inwhich this understanding can lead to a healthy society.Social Medicine teaches that the creation of equalopportunity for all, lowering and containing the health carecosts and elimination of user fear and concern regardingquality of health delivery system in the society can achievethe goals of better health.Keywords: Social Medicine; Health Services Research;Practice Management, Medical; Primary Health Care.