A leader behind the creation of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, Ilona Kickbusch, describes it as “a living document with deep vision and practice orientation” (Nutbeam, 2008).
The Ottawa Charter is the international agreement that focuses on health promotion and outlines action areas and strategies to achieve health (World Health Organization, 1986). This landmark document was created during the World Health Organization’s First International Conference on Health Promotion on November 21, 1986 (World Health Organization, 1986). Video 1 defines health promotion and explains the gold standard principles of the Ottawa Charter (Let’s Learn Public Health, 2017).
Video 1. An Introduction to Health Promotion and the Ottawa Charter (Let's Learn Public Health 2017)
Leaders in health promotion view health as a resource for everyday life and linked to an individual’s environment (World Health Organization, 1986). Peace, shelter, education, food, income, stable eco-system, sustainable resources, social justice and equity are considered the pre-requisites for health (World Health Organization, 1986). The maintenance of health is a social investment that requires intersectoral action (World Health Organization, 1986).
(World Health Organization, 1986):
1) Build Health Public Policy
2) Re-Orient Health Services
3) Create Supportive Environments
4) Strengthen Community Action
5) Develop Personal Skills
The purpose of health promotion is for people to have a “state of well-being sufficient to perform at adequate levels of physical, mental and social activity” that supports a human’s needs (Lalonde, 1974). Health promotion can be challenging since people may not tolerate inconveniences, prefer self-indulgence, or believe that statistical probabilities do not apply to them (Lalonde, 1974). Changing personal habits (especially ones that are addictive) requires discipline, but individuals cannot reach all health goals without supportive environments and strong health policies (Lalonde, 1974). For example, an individual relies on policies and regulations to ensure sewage and garbage are disposed of effectively, the water supply is not contaminated, and the air is not polluted (Lalonde, 1974). Legislative, regulatory, organization, and taxation changes impact the entire population and allow the environment that they live in to be safer and healthier (Let’s Learn Public Health, 2017). In turn, a supportive environment is fundamentally important for a person to make smart choices and develop personal skills.
Lalonde, M. (1974). A new perspective on the health of Canadians. Ottawa: Government of Canada. https://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/pdf/perspect-eng.pdf
Let’s Learn Public Health [Let’s Learn Public Health]. (2017, March 4). An introduction to health promotion and the Ottawa Charter. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2quVLcJVBk
Nutbeam, D. (2008). What would the Ottawa Charter look like if it were written today? Critical Public Health, 18(4), 435-411. https://doi.org/10.1080/09581590802551208
World Health Organization. (1986). Ottawa charter for hea lth promotion, 1986. Regional Office for Europe. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/phac-aspc/documents/
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