In the global health arena, the World Health Organization (WHO) has continued to promote health promotion in a more comprehensive manner since the Ottawa Charter in 1986. The 1986 Ottawa Charter describes health promotion as “a process that enables people to gain greater control over their health and its determinants”, emphasizing the impact of social and environmental interventions on health determinants. However, over time, in 2005, in the context of globalization, WHO redefined health promotion in the Bangkok Charter, emphasizing the importance of equitable health and coordinated actions at various policy levels.
In the 1986 Ottawa Charter, health promotion was defined as "improving people's health by enabling them to increase their control over their health and its determinants." This definition points out the multifaceted nature of health promotion, which goes beyond It involves changes in individual behaviour and covers social and environmental interventions such as income, housing, food security, employment and working conditions.
Health promotion is not only the responsibility of the health sector, but also involves the promotion of political, economic, social, cultural, environmental, behavioral and biological factors.
In 2005, the Bangkok Charter further developed this definition, emphasizing that health promotion as a strategy must be integrated into all public policy actions. The core idea of the new charter is to support health equity and promote opportunities for improved health in all communities.
Three major mechanisms for health promotion can include: self-care, helping each other, and creating a healthy environment.
With the convening of the first International Conference on Health Promotion in 1986, the release of the Ottawa Charter made the definition of health promotion clearer, while the Bangkok Charter echoed the deepening of this concept in the context of globalization. The Bangkok Charter not only continues the core concepts of Ottawa, but also introduces the concept of "Health in All Policies" (HiAP), emphasizing the importance of social equity and cooperation.
In the process of implementing health promotion, WHO has proposed a variety of strategies, including community intervention, policy-level advocacy, and setting-based strategies. By promoting health literacy, improving people's ability to obtain and understand health information, and encouraging social mobilization, the success rate of health promotion can be effectively improved. In the specific implementation of health promotion, many challenges may be faced, such as long-term health outcomes that are not immediately apparent and attribution issues between health improvements and specific health promotion activities.
ConclusionMixed methods for evaluating health promotion outcomes can provide a more comprehensive understanding, including both quantitative and qualitative data.
Despite these challenges, a range of studies have clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of health promotion interventions, such as comprehensive tobacco control programs, community campaigns to promote physical activity, and school health programs, which have significantly improved population health indicators. Looking to the future, the concept of health promotion continues to evolve, calling on the global community to further seek coordination at the policy level to achieve comprehensive health protection. So, for you, how can we more effectively advance the concept of health promotion?