Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Ima
ge
des
crip
ThefirstInternationalConferenceonHealthPromotionwasheldinOttawa,CanadainNovember,
1986.Theconferencewasprimarilyaresponsetogrowingexpectationsforanewpublichealth
movementaroundtheworld.Discussionsfocusedonneedswithinindustrialisedcountries,buttook
intoaccountsimilarconcernsinallotherregions.
TheaimoftheconferencewastocontinuetoidentifyactiontoachievetheobjectivesoftheWorld
HealthOrganization(WHO)Health for allby the year2000initiative,launchedin1981.
TheOttawaConferencewasprecededbytheAlmaAtaPrimaryHealthCareConferencein1978,
andfollowedbyfurtherinternationalhealthpromotionconferencesinAdelaide(1988),Sundsvall
(1991),Jakarta(1997),Mexico(2000),Bangkok(2005)andNairobi(2009).
Eachconferencecontinuestostrengthenhealthpromotionprinciplesandpractice,suchashealthy
publicpolicy,supportiveenvironments,buildinghealthyalliancesandbridgingtheequitygap.
ThefollowinginformationistakenfromtheOttawaCharterforHealthPromotion.
Health promotion
Healthpromotionistheprocessofenablingpeopletoincreasecontroloverandimprovetheir
health.Healthisseenasaresourceforeverydaylife,nottheobjectiveofliving.Healthpromotion
isnotjusttheresponsibilityofthehealthsector,butgoesbeyondhealthylifestylestowellbeing.
Thefundamentalconditionsandresourcesneededforgoodhealthare:
Peace
Shelter
Education
Food
Income
Astableecosystem
Sustainableresources
Socialjusticeandequity.
Advocate goodhealthisamajorresourceforsocial,economicandpersonal
development,andanimportantdimensionofqualityoflife.Political,economic,social,
cultural,environmental,behaviouralandbiologicalfactorscanallfavourorharmhealth.
Healthpromotionaimstomaketheseconditionsfavourable,throughadvocacyforhealth.
Enable healthpromotionfocusesonachievingequityinhealth.Healthpromotionaction
aimstoreducedifferencesincurrenthealthstatusandtoensuretheavailabilityofequal
opportunitiesandresourcestoenableallpeopletoachievetheirfullhealthpotential.This
includesasecurefoundationinasupportiveenvironment,accesstoinformation,lifeskills
andopportunitiestomakehealthychoices.Peoplecannotachievetheirfullesthealth
potentialunlesstheyareabletocontrolthosethingsthatdeterminetheirhealth.Thismust
applyequallytowomenandmen.
Mediate theprerequisitesandprospectsforhealthcannotbeensuredbythehealth
sectoralone.Healthpromotiondemandscoordinatedactionbyallconcerned,including
governments,healthandothersocialandeconomicsectors,non-governmentand
voluntaryorganisations,localauthorities,industryandthemedia.
OttawaCharterforHealthPromotion
Page1of3
Moveintothearenaofhealthypublicpolicyandadvocateaclearpoliticalcommitmentto
healthandequityinallsectors
Counteractthepressurestowardsharmfulproducts,resourcedepletion,unhealthyliving
conditionsandenvironments,andbadnutrition,andfocusattentiononpublichealthissues
suchaspollution,occupationalhazards,housingandsettlements
Respondtothehealthgapwithinandbetweensocieties,andtackletheinequitiesinhealth
producedbytherulesandpracticesofthesesocieties
Acknowledgepeopleasthemainhealthresourcetosupportandenablethemtokeep
themselves,theirfamiliesandfriendshealthythroughfinancialandothermeansand
acceptthecommunityastheessentialvoiceinmattersofitshealth,livingconditionsand
wellbeing
Reorienthealthservicesandtheirresourcestowardsthepromotionofhealth,andshare
powerwithothersectors,disciplinesandwithpeople.
Recognisehealthanditsmaintenanceasamajorsocialinvestmentandchallenge,and
addresstheoverallecologicalissuesofourwaysofliving.
Communityhealthservices
Primarycarepartnerships
Somehospitals
OttawaCharterforHealthPromotion
Page2of3
Somelocalgovernments
Somesocialwelfareagencies
Somenon-governmentorganisations
Somepeakorganisations.
Yourdoctor
Communityhealthcentres
HealthPromotion,DepartmentofHealth,VictoriaTel.(03)90965753
Things to remember
ThefirstInternationalConferenceonHealthPromotionwasheldinOttawa,Canadain
November1986.
TheaimoftheconferencewasactiontoachieveHealth for allbytheyear2000and
beyond.
TheOttawaConferenceisoneoffiveInternationalHealthPromotionConferences,
exploringkeyhealthpromotionstrategiesorissues.
This page has been produced in consultation with, and approved by:
DH-MHW&A-PreventionandPopulationHealth-PreventionSystemandPolicy
Contentonthiswebsiteisprovidedforeducationandinformationpurposesonly.Information
aboutatherapy,service,productortreatmentdoesnotimplyendorsementandisnotintendedto
replaceadvicefromyourdoctororotherregisteredhealthprofessional.Contenthasbeen
preparedforVictorianresidentsandwiderAustralianaudiences,andwasaccurateatthetimeof
publication.Readersshouldnotethat,overtime,currencyandcompletenessoftheinformation
maychange.Allusersareurgedtoalwaysseekadvicefromaregisteredhealthcareprofessional
fordiagnosisandanswerstotheirmedicalquestions.
Forthelatestupdatesandmoreinformation,visitwww.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
Copyight 1999/2014StateofVictoria.ReproducedfromtheBetterHealthChannel
(www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au)atnocostwithpermissionoftheVictorianMinisterforHealth.
Unauthorisedreproductionandotherusescomprisedinthecopyrightareprohibitedwithout
permission.
OttawaCharterforHealthPromotion
Page3of3