Health Promotion and the Ottawa Charter

Introduction

Health promotion: Essential part of public health.
Defined: Enabling people to increase control over and improve health.
WHO definition of health: Beyond absence of disease to complete physical, mental, social well-being.

Health influenced by social, environmental, economic factors.
Comprehensive approach needed: Individual behavior and broader health determinants.

Significant history: 1986, 1st International Conference on Health Promotion (WHO) in Ottawa, Canada.
Outcome: Ottawa Charter.
Continued relevance and influence on health promotion worldwide.

Building Healthy Public Policy
- Policies supporting health are crucial.
- Examples: Seatbelt laws, smoking restrictions, workplace safety regulations.
Creating Supportive Environments
- Focus on natural and built environments (places of living, working, learning, playing).
- Examples: Workplace health programs, restrictions on junk food ads for children, walking/running programs.
Strengthening Community Action
- Collective community efforts to improve health.
- Examples: Community fun runs, community kitchens, support groups for specific illnesses (e.g., HIV/AIDS).
Reorienting Health Services
- Shift focus from curative to preventive and holistic care.
- Examples: Training doctors for smoking cessation education, establishing health educator roles, improving access for diverse populations.
Developing Personal Skills
- Support for personal/social development through education and information.
- Examples: Online health information programs, educational materials for chronic diseases, disease management classes.

Advocate
- Combine actions to gain political commitment and policy support for health goals.
Mediate
- Reconcile interests between individuals, communities, sectors (public/private) to promote health.
Enable
- Partner with individuals to empower and promote actions for better health.