The Importance Of Health Promotion And Health Education

Many definitions of ‘health’ have been given over time, yet the concept is often seen as difficult to affirm. Traditionally, it was defined in a scientific or medical context, largely based on the normal or abnormal biological and physiological functioning of the body (Wills, 2008). However, as perceptions of health continued to develop, this perspective, once dominant in western medicine has often been challenged (Wade, 2004). In 1948, The World Health Organization defined health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity '. Suggesting that in order to determine an individual’s experience of health or illness it would require the consideration of biological, psychological

In 1978 during an international conference on Primary Health Care the declaration of Alma Ata urged the need for action by all governments, to ‘protect and promote the health of all people’ this first international declaration underpinned the need for primary health care internationally, and this approach was the key to achieving the goal of ‘health for all’ (World Health Organization, n.d.).
Later on the 21st of November 1986, the World Health Organization held the first international conference on health promotion in Ottawa, Canada. This conference was held in response to growing health expectations around the world and to build on an earlier initiative ‘Health for all by the year 2000’ launched in 1981 (World Health Organization, 1986). The ‘Ottawa Charter’ emphasised the idea of health promotion as a process that would enable people to ‘increase control over, and to improve, their health’ (World Health Organization, 1986). This charter was established to provide certain guidelines or framework that would enable organisations to develop health promotion strategies, and build public