Health Promotion

Health Promotion

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

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

Determinants of Health:

The range of personal, social, economic and environmental factors which determine the health status of individuals or populations. The factors which influence health are multiple and interactive. Potentially modifiable determinants of health – not only those which are related to the actions of individuals, such as health behaviors and lifestyles, but also factors such as income and social status, education, employment and working conditions, access to appropriate health services, and the physical environments.

Three basic strategies for health promotion as identified by the Ottawa Charter for health promotion, WHO:

1. Advocacy for health to create the essential conditions for health as indicated above;

2. Enabling all people to achieve their full health potential; and

3. Mediating between the different interests in society in the pursuit of health.

Advocacy - A combination of individual and social actions designed to gain political commitment, policy support, social acceptance and systems support for a particular health goal or program. Such action may be taken by and/or on behalf of individuals and groups to create living conditions which are conducive to health and the achievement of healthy lifestyles. Advocacy is one of the three major strategies for health promotion...