Question

The development of Health Promotion as a discipline can be summarized into three (3) eras. Name these eras and briefly explain the characteristics of each era.

Answer 1

Health promotion is very relevant today. There is a global acceptance that health and social wellbeing are determined by many factors outside the health system which include socioeconomic conditions, patterns of consumption associated with food and communication, demographic patterns, learning environments, family patterns, the cultural and social fabric of societies; sociopolitical and economic changes, including commercialization and trade and global environmental change. In such a situation, health issues can be effectively addressed by adopting a holistic approach by empowering individuals and communities to take action for their health, fostering leadership for public health, promoting intersectoral action to build healthy public policies in all sectors and creating sustainable health systems. Although, not a new concept, health promotion received an impetus following Alma Ata declaration. Recently it has evolved through a series of international conferences, with the first conference in Canada producing the famous Ottawa charter. Efforts at promoting health encompassing actions at individual and community levels, health system strengthening and multi sectoral partnership can be directed at specific health conditions. It should also include settings-based approach to promote health in specific settings such as schools, hospitals, workplaces, residential areas etc. Health promotion needs to be built into all the policies and if utilized efficiently will lead to positive health outcomes.

Health promotion Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health.

Reference: Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. WHO, Geneva,1986

Health promotion represents a comprehensive social and political process, it not only embraces actions directed at strengthening the skills and capabilities of individuals, but also action directed towards changing social, environmental and economic conditions so as to alleviate their impact on public and individual health. Health promotion is the process of enabling people aaaaa aaaaa 2 to increase control over the determinants of health and thereby improve their health. Participation is essential to sustain health promotion action.

The Ottawa Charteridentifies three basic strategies for health promotion. These are advocacy for health to create the essential conditions for health indicated above; enabling all people to achieve their full health potential; and mediating between the different interests in society in the pursuit of health.

These strategies are supported by five priority action areas as outlined in the Ottawa Charter for health promotion:

Build healthy public policy

Create supportive environments for health

Strengthen community action for health

Develop personal skills, and

Re-orient health services

The Jakarta Declaration on Leading Health Promotion into the 21st Century from July 1997 confirmed that these strategies and action areas are relevant for all countries. Furthermore, there is clear evidence that:

Comprehensive approaches to health development are the most effective. Those that use combinations of the five strategies are more effective than single-track approaches;

Settings for health offer practical opportunities for the implementation of comprehensive strategies

Participation is essential to sustain efforts. People have to be at the centre of health promotion action and decision-making processes for them to be effective

Health literacy/ health learning fosters participation. Access to education and information is essential to achieving effective participation and the empowerment of people and communities.

For health promotion in the 21st century the Jakarta Declaration identifies five priorities:

Promote social responsibility for health

Increase investments for health development

Expand partnerships for health promotion

Increase community capacity and empower the individual

Secure an infrastructure for health promotion

Each of these priorities is further defined in the glossary. Increasing community capacity is addressed in the definition of community action for health. Empowerment for health is included as a definition.