Health Promotions

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health promotion as “the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health”(WHO, 2022). Since the first international health promotion conference in 1986, the World Health Organization has done nine conferences, with the most recent being in Shanghai (The World Health Organization [WHO], 2022). 

One of the most well known health promotion programs in the United States is called Healthy People, run by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) through the US Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2030 is the most recent version of their program. On September 14 2022, they entered the third installment of the 2030 webinar series by focusing on cancer prevention, vaccination, physical activity, and tobacco use. By promoting these health issues in the United States, they are able to discuss solutions and methods to overcome these prominent issues  (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion [ODPHP], 2022). 

Why is health promotion so important? There has been an increase in communicable and noncommunicable diseases globally. It has been found that this is caused by demographic patterns, learning environments, family patterns, economics, environmental changes, and so much more. Health promotion aims at providing education at global, community, and personal levels for specific health conditions. By educating people on health promotion and the increase of noncommunicable diseases, it can “enable people to take control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health” (Kumar & Preetha, 2012).

When it comes to health promotion on a local level, it is important to know the health disparities of the community. Each community has different needs and situations, making their health unique from other communities (Kumar & Preetha, 2012). 

References

Kumar, S., & Preetha, G. (2012). Health promotion: An effective tool for global health. Indian journal of community medicine : official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3326808/    

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP). (2022). Healthy People 2030. https://health.gov/healthypeople  

WHO. (2022). Health Promotion. https://www.who.int/health-topics/health-promotion#tab=tab_1