What is Health Promotion in PAHO?

Health Promotion was described more than 5 decades ago as "Health is promoted through decent life conditions and standards, good working conditions, education, physical activity, rest and recreation. Therefore, health is not only the absence of disease, but something positive, a positive attitude toward life and acceptance of life's responsibilities." (H. Sigerist, 1941). In his message Dr. Alleyne makes reference to this text and reflects on the concept of health that we should promote (Annual Report of the Director, PAHO 2001). He indicates that in all his readings he finds that health promotion embodies a totalizing, integral, or holistic concept of health.

In this definition of health promotion, health is a central dimension in the concept of life, and thus we understand better how public policies affect health and life styles, and how these in turn give shape to healthy behaviors.

Health promotion as a strategy of the new public health started as a result of an important change in the concept and theory of public health brought about by the Lalonde report "New perspectives on the Health of the Canadians" (Canada, 1974). In this report social and environmental factors and life styles were recognized as the determinants of health. This report was one of the fundamental documents for the debate that culminated in the adoption of the Ottawa Charter (Canada 1986).

The Ottawa Charter still represents the essential formulation of the health promotion concept and states clearly that any action in this sense means to build healthy public policies, create a supportive setting, strengthen community action, develop personal abilities, and reorient health services (Annual Report of the Director, PAHO 2001).

Health promotion is a new public health paradigm since it originates from the question: Where is Health created? As stated in the Ottawa Charter "health is created in the context of everyday life".

The Division of Health Promotion and Protection presented this modern health promotion concept to the Governing Bodies, beyond life styles, in the understanding that behavior and life styles are not established in a vacuum, but in the social context of peoples' daily lives. This concept and the strategic planning were adopted by the 43rd Directing Council in September 2001.