World Health Organization [WHO] (n.d.) defines health policy as “decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific health care goals within a society”. It promotes the society to move forward to Healthy Cities, ensuring that everyone in the community receives the care they need. This concept is closely connected to social justice, which I wrote about in the first journal. Social justice is aimed to build the common ground for all individuals no matter what they do and where they are from. It can be said that the social justice illustrates a broad meaning, and Healthy Policy is a critical part in achieving social justice. This journal is to explore the concept of Healthy Cities movement which goes together with Health Policy and the role of …show more content…
It is a long-term development plan to build healthier places for people to live in. The difference of Healthy Cities project from other town planning is that the Healthy Cities focus on human health. Therefore, its goal is to create a health-supportive environment which offers the best opportunity for people now and in the future to enjoy good quality of life (Barton & Grant, 2013). Healthy Cities requires political approach and innovative action. A local government has the role in engaging the residents in decision-making and political commitment, and by working together, they contribute to institutional change for better health. Each individual’s opinion is highly valued for success in establishing Healthy Cities. According to Twiss, Kleinman, and Hafey (2013), participant diversity is essential in developing strategies that would be implemented in a “Healthy City” because it provides a variety of opinions from different points of view. The healthy cities is for the residents. All of them need to say what they want and how they want their community is governed. In order to make them speak up their desires, they need to have the power in their
A common definition of a suburb is a community in an outlying section of a city or, more commonly, a nearby, politically separate municipality with social and economic ties to the central city. In the 20th cent., particularly in the United States, population growth in urban areas has spilled increasingly outside the city limits and concentrated there, resulting in large metropolitan areas where the populations of the suburbs taken together exceed that of the central city. As growth of the suburbs continues, cost of labor for common suburban housing
Last week was a good demonstration of how a culture can significantly influence its nation’s health outcome. The Japanese, by being Japanese, have enhanced their mortality rate making them the best nation in the world for health outcomes. (Bezruchka, 2011) Not all cultures are so egalitarian however and require more programs or impetus to effect change in their health status. As we look at Europe, two countries which stood out to me were Sweden, a relatively wealthy country, and Slovenia; much poorer and agrarian relative to other European nations.
The term “public/community health” often brings to mind sparkling clear clean water and fresh clean air. The reason for that mental image is that both are required in order for one to have good public/community health. In actuality, the term “Public Health” has been defined as “the protection and improvement of the health of the public through community action, primarily by governmental agencies” (Public Health, 2016). However, public health includes any and all actions taken to maintain and improve the general health of a community. Government health programs provide most of the public health services. In addition, many voluntary health agencies receive contributions to battle specific diseases, such as HIV and cancer. These agencies not only provide medical services, they campaign for health legislation, and make important contributions to health education. In the United States, the Public Health Service administers the government’s public health programs. State and local health departments also provide a wide range of
Most of these articles also argued that healthy policies by themselves cannot achieve the expected health improvement.1-3,7-13 This is why the US healthcare access cannot be improved without paying attention to the social and environmental needs of the poor Americans, who in most cases are at the receiving end. The social determinants of health can only be improved through actions targeted at the factors that improve life.1-3,4-5 Government policies should be translated into actions that are centered on enhancing the conditions in which people live, work, play, and grow.1,3,12 The situation that people are born into should not control their destiny, access to healthcare or other opportunities in life, because it will be then unfair and unjust. 1-3,7-13
What are social determinates of health? Why should they be considered in planning community programing?
Healthy People 2020 is a program for the promotion of health and the prevention of diseases, launched by the Department of Health and Human Services in December 2010. According to healthypeople.gov, this program has four overarching goals which are first to achieve healthy, longer lives free of preventable diseases, injuries, and premature deaths; to achieve health fairness, eliminate differences, and improve all groups’ health; also to produce social and physical environments that encourage good health; and last but not least to promote life’s quality, healthy development, and healthy behaviors through all life stages. This program has a vision of a community where people live long, healthy lives. Healthy People 2020 offers a comprehensive
For example the state of Florida has a new initiative titled “Healthiest Weight”. This initiative works to tackle obesity which is what they call, “the number one public health threat to Florida’s future ("HealthiestWeight")”. Another example of state health initiative is Oklahoma’s “Shape Your Future” program. This program tackles three different aspects; “eating better, moving more, and living tobacco free ("Shape Your Future")”. Through different community activities, contest, and media advertisements these programs are hoping to help improve the health of citizens throughout their respective states. The main objective that these programs are missing is preventing health issues before they become issues. This is why it’s crucial to begin initiatives at the most basic level and educate children through better physical education
In some way, public health is seen as a modern philosophical and ideological perspective based on ‘equity’ and aimed to determine inequitable in society. It seen as a ‘science’ and ‘art’ in the sense that it deals with the cause of disease, treatment of illness as well as it involves laboratory experiments, intervention and promoting of health of the population. Winslow (1920, p. 23) defined public health as ‘the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting physical health and efficiency through organised community efforts for the sanitation of the environment, the control community infections, the education of the individual in principles of personal hygiene, the organisation of medical and nursing service for early diagnosis and preventive treatment of disease, and the development of social machinery which will ensure to every individual in the community a standard of living adequate for the maintenance of health. On the other hand, it is ‘the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organised effort of society’ (Acheson, 1998; in Cowley S, 2002, p. 261).
To reach a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, an individual or group must be able to identify and to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment. Health is, therefore, seen as a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities. Therefore, health promotion is not just the responsibility of the health sector, but goes beyond healthy life-styles to wellbeing. Health promotion goes beyond health care. It puts health on the agenda of policy makers in all sectors and at all levels. It directs policy makers to be aware of the health consequences of their decisions and accept their responsibilities for
...on, race, and political belief, economic or social condition. Improving the poor health of disadvantaged individuals and reducing health gaps is important but not enough to level up health through socioeconomic groups. The objective of tackling health inequalities can be changed to local needs and priorities of a community allowing wide-ranging partnerships of support to be organised. However it needs to be made clear that what can be done to help improve the life chances and health prospects of individuals living in poverty may not come close to bringing their health prospects closer to the average of the rest of the population or prevent the gap living on throughout the generations. Being clear about what is trying to be overcome and achieved needs upmost importance in the development and delivery of policies that will promote health equality across the population.
There are many inequities in this global world; should there be such gross inequities in the health of people around the world? We hear words like health gap, health care inequality and sustainability. What can be done to eliminate the health gap, health care inequities and maintain sustainability? The World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations, private and public are working towards eliminating these disparities. Healthy People 2020 are one such goal that has achieved considerable progress in attaining sustainability in the pursuit of global health goals (Gostin et al., 2013). The health gap can be minimized through health strategies. Among them are essentials for all in this global world; clean air, water, healthy food and adequate housing with hygienic living conditions. Primary, secondary, tertiary prevention and care services should be available to all who seek health care services.
In an era when the resources for health promotion are limited and the expectations as to what can be achieved are high, sustainability has become a familiar catch-cry (Swerissen & Crisp. 2014.) Health and sustainability are parallel challenges (Cunningham et al. 2010) as the economic, social and environmental characteristics of a sustainable society are the same as those of a healthy society (Griffiths 2006.). The precise definition of sustainability is still subject to debate. It has no single or universally accepted definition. It is not easily captured in a concise definition and means different things to different people or concepts (Auditor General of Victoria 2004). In this case sustainability will be the development aiming to maintain or sustain conditions in order to provide improved long-term economic health and a stable social and cultural quality system to preserve and protect the environment (Gremm et al. 2008). A crucial focus to sustainability includes preserving the environment so that the needs of future generations can also be met indefinitely in the future. Public health programs constitute an important method of improving health and program sustainability (Pluye et al 2004) as partnerships between health organisations and local authority planning departments concerning spacial planning are important to ensure the design of healthy sustainable communities (Griffiths 2006.).
The purpose of this community profile is to discuss a particular health improvement issue within a chosen community. A community can be defined using many different terms. You can belong to a community through religious beliefs. Through shared experiences or interests. You can belong to a political community where all involved share the same political interests. A community can also be defined as ‘a family’ a small village where many have lived most of their lives who share the same desire to belong to that community.
There are numerous public health problems that can be addressed in my Southside of Chicago community. Among the several public health problems facing my Southside of Chicago community there are two that are more urgent. Health education or one might say lack thereof is a problem that needs to be addressed. My community is plagued with many of the residents suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, and the killer virus known as HIV. In most cases these conditions can be prevented with healthier lifestyles and access to nutritious organic foods. In addition, environmental health is another urgent problem my community is facing. Access to clean, safe water and air is supposed to be a fundamental human right aimed at a healthy environment. Yet, my community consists a waste contaminated beach, numerous deteriorated building that are still occupied, and a countless number of restaurant and stores supplying our residents with services that are endangering their health.
What is your idea of a healthy community? Provide specific examples. What do healthy communities have in common? How would you provide care for a community if your idea of a healthy community does not match your community 's definition of a healthy community?