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 to increase control over the determinants of health and thereby improve their health. Participation is essential to sustain health promotion action.
The Ottawa Charter identifies 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
Insert link to http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/milestones.pdf in health promotion resources
Social Determinants
A social model of health is a framework for thinking about health. Within this framework, improvements in health and wellbeing are achieved by addressing the social and environmental determinants of health, in tandem with biological and medical factors. Underpinning and supporting this conceptual framework is the Alma Ata declaration and the World Health Organisation definition of health:
Health is a complete state of physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Planners of services that aim to improve health and wellbeing and reduce the burden of preventable disease need to be concerned not only with the individual context or factors, but also with the context of broad public policies and environmental influences, group and family influences and the community context
Insert link to Social determinants – the solid facst ( health promotion resources)
http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/98438/e81384.pdf
What is ‘Population Health’?
‘Health’ is defined by the World Health Organisation as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease, or infirmity’. The word ‘population’ is defined as the ‘total number of people or things in a given place or region.’ The essence of this definition is that it emphases the orientation towards whole groups rather than individuals (Lawson et al, 2001). These two definitions have provided the basis for understanding what is meant by the term ‘population health’.
Population health can be defined as
“The art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organised efforts and informed choices of society, organisations, public and private; communities and individuals.”
Population health approaches address the entire range of factors that determine health rather than focusing on risks and clinical factors related to particular diseases; this includes the social, cultural and economic environments.
Population health utilises a multi-strategy approach to improve health and wellbeing through:
- education, screening, immunisation and other interventions
- promoting and supporting healthy lifestyles and behaviours
- legislation, regulation and fiscal measures
- strengthening skills, competencies, systems and infrastructures in communities
- ensuring safe and healthy environments
- monitoring and surveillance
Lawson JS, Bauman AE, Public Health Australia; an introduction. Roseville (NSW): McGraw Hill; 2001
