THE OTTAWA CHARTER FOR HEALTH PROMOTION

HEALTH PROMOTION

- Is defined as the process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve
health which means that an individual or group must be able to identify and to
realize aspiration; to satisfy needs and to change or cope with the environment

PREREQUISITE FOR HEALTH: peace, shelter, education, food, income, a stable eco-
system, sustainable resources, social justice and equity

HEALTH PROMOTION STRATEGIES

1. Build Healthy Public Policy - health is given top priority on the agenda of the
policy makers making healthy choices that enable people live a healthy lives

2. Create Supportive Environments interrelationship between people and

environment adopt the principle of reciprocal maintenance where everybody
looks out for everyones welfare taking each other, conserving worlds natural
resources and environment to live a healthy and productive life

3. Strengthen Community Actions by empowerment of the communities which

means have ownership and control over resources and endeavors to address health
priorities and meet respective health needs

4. Develop Personal Skills through health education, enhancing social and life
skills to cope with crises and challenges of life

5. Reorient Health Services clinical research, professional training and

development of the health personnel which are the core elements of health
promotion

PRINCIPLES OF HEALTH PROMOTION (WHO)

1. HP involves the population as a whole in the context of the everyday life, rather than
focusing on people at risk from specific disease

2. HP is directed towards action on the determinants or cause health

3. HP combines diverse, but complementary methods or approaches including

communication, education, legislation, fiscal development and spontaneous local activities
against health hazards

4. HP aims particularly at effective and concrete public participation

5. HP is primarily a societal and political venture and not a medical service, although health
professionals have an important role in advocating and enabling HP