Health promotion and its national context

Aim: To explain the meaning, process and reasons for health

promotion, risk management and health planning

World Health Organization (1946)

• Health is a state of complete mental and social well-being, not merely absence of disease or infirmity

• Holistic approach is wider than a medical model• Focuses on protection of health and prevention of

illness in populations• Recognizes social and environmental influences

on health

US Research suggests

• 50% of premature mortality due to unhealthy lifestyle and behaviour

• 20% due to human biology

• 20% due to physical environment

• 10% due to inadequate health care

Is this true in your country? Do you think what you think because you’re rich?

Australian health

• Comparatively good in international terms, except for indigenous people

• Strong relationship between socio-economic status and health internationally and within countries

• Smoking, alcohol and poor diet major causes of poor health in Australia

• Injuries and mental health also major problems

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)

• Population health should be guided by a focus on prevention, an understanding of the causes and determinants of illness, evidence based practice, and community participation in decisions which affect health (1995)

Health Promotion

• Focuses on protection of health rather than treatment of individual illness

• Greatest contributions to extending life in 20th century came from public management and engineering (sewerage, drainage, rubbish removal etc.) and immunization

Risk management(required in OHS acts)

• A logical and systematic method of identifying, analyzing, assessing, treating, monitoring and communicating risks associated with any activity in a way that will enable organizations to minimize losses and maximize opportunities

Risk management

• Consultatively establish context

• Identify risks

• Analyze and prioritize risks (severity and frequency)

• Control risks

• Evaluate outcome

• (Consistent with quality management)

Health planning

• Goal setting

• Plan formulation

• Plan implementation

• Monitoring and feedback

Action Research

• Educative

• Problem focused and future oriented

• Change oriented intervention which aims at improvement,and stakeholder participation

WHO Ottawa Charter (1986)

The supports for health include peace, shelter, food, income, a stable economic system, sustainable resources, social justice and equity

UN Declaration on Environment (1992)

• Committed signatories to ecologically sustainable development goals

• First principle is that health is at the centre of human development and people are entitled to a health and productive life in harmony with nature

Australian national health goals

• Cardiovascular disease

• Cancers

• Injuries (work, road, suicide)

• Mental health

• Diabetes

• Aboriginal health

Principle national goals

• Australians should have access to a comprehensive range of services regardless of financial status, race, culture

• Services should be of consistently high quality across Australia

• Foster community and individual participation in decision making at all levels

NSW Government Vision

• A philosophy of continuous improvement will be adopted in all areas of govt. responsibility

• This is hindered by a lack of comparable, publicly available data about service delivery and outcomes

Management goals

• Private sector: make profit and provide returns to shareholders

• Govt. sector: Regulate (make and administer law) in the community interest and provide essential services

• Separate policy and administration

• Govt. should ‘steer’ not ‘row’

Council of Australian Governments (COAG)

• 1990 – National standards for health and environment and related occupations

• Mutual recognition legislation

• The Australian nation principle

• The subsidiarity principle

• The structural efficiency principle

• The accountability principle

National Competition Policy (1995)

• Competition on a level playing field, unless another course of action can be shown to be in the public interest

• Review of all Australian law to implement competition policy (Followed state reviews to update legislation and make requirements plain)

Health promotion requires coordinated approach

• Tobacco fought with:

• Taxation policies

• Regulation of tobacco products

• Promotion of smoke-free areas

• Public education campaigns

• Community development and partnership building

Prevention program

• Establish planning group

• Assess needs of the population

• Identify program goals or targets

• Set program objectives

• Develop strategies and action plan

• Evaluate outcomes (performance indicators)

• Need for program budgeting