What is Health Promotion?
PHO Health Promotion - A population approach to health and wellbeing
Health Promotion is a particular field of health that engages the well population in the PHO with the goal not only to keep them well but to maximise their wellbeing. Health promotion activities are planned, implemented and evaluated by those skilled in health promotion, often in partnership with other health sector specialists or with those from other sectors. Health promotion activities are designed to engage and impact on vulnerable communities, and are implemented based on the expressed needs of the community and on evidence gleaned from research and evaluations of effective programmes. In New Zealand, health promotion activities are developed with a focus on the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi[1], addressing the determinants of health[2] and reducing inequalities[3][4].
The Ottawa Charter for health promotion[5] groups health promotion strategies into five action areas:
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Primary Care/Individual focus
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Population focus/health promotion
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Developing Personal Skills
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Strengthening community action
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Healthy public policy
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Reorienting health services
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Creating supporting environments
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Some activities used to improve individual and population health:[6]
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Screening, individual risk assessment, immunization
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Health information
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Health education, counseling, skill development
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Social marketing
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Organizational development
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Community action
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Economic and regulatory activities
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Primary care Health promotion
The challenge for PHOs is to move their health promotion activities towards a focus on the well but most vulnerable populations within its bounds.
“Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over and improve their health. To reach a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, an individual or group must be able to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs and to change or cope with the environment. Health is therefore seen as a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and physical resources, as well as physical capacities. Therefore, health promotion is not just the responsibility of the health sector but goes beyond healthy lifestyles to wellbeing.” (World Health Organisation 1986)
