Ottawa Charter: The Three Approaches To Health Promotion

Another key action of the Ottawa Charter is recognized as reorienting health services. It emphasizes that the responsibility of the health services for health promotion is communal amongst the individuals, government, community settings, healthcare and service providers (WHO, 2017). According to Ottawa Charter (1986), “reorienting health services is mainly about the health sector varying from focusing primarily on clinical and curative services to increase focus on health promotion and prevention”. This action refers to equity, as the role of the health sector must move progressively in a health promotion practice, past the obligation regarding giving clinical and remedial administrations (Wise & Nutbeam, 2007). The Ottawa Charter, consequently,

The approaches are important in health promotion practice because it helps and empowers an individual to make better lifestyle choices for better health outcome. The medical approach is also known as preventive or disease prevention approach. A medical approach is a common approach because it uses scientific methods, emphasizes expertise of health professionals, prevention and early detection (WHO,2017). It aims to diminish illness and early mortality rate by focusing on the whole population. It has three levels of interventions; primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. Primary prevention is the prevention of the start of an illness. For instance, vaccination takes place. Secondary prevention is averting the development of an illness, for example, screening. Lastly, tertiary prevention is diminishing additional disability and grief. For example, rehabilitation or palliative care (WHO, 2017). A strength of the medical approach would be that it uses methodical approaches, such as epidemiology. It is also identified as a top-down approach. As it is led by health professionals, this sort of action strengthens the specialist of health experts who have fundamental knowledge to accomplish the results. It is important in health promotion practice as it provides a substructure accomplished of delivering screening or immunization programs, by the healthcare professional, right medical equipment,

O’Dea (2009), stated that skin cancer is identified as the most communal cancer affecting an individual in New Zealand. Each year, more than 300 people pass away because of skin cancer (O’Dea, 2009). New Zealand Cancer Control policy was established in 2003 with the purpose to ‘reduce the number of people developing skin cancer due to UV radiation exposure’ under primary prevention (Cancer Control Taskforce, 2005). School settings were acknowledged as a significant accomplishment sector to control skin cancer as stated in the Cancer Society and Health Sponsorship Council’s Strategic policies for skin cancer control and for educational and policy involvements (Cancer Control Taskforce, 2005). Educating children at this age is considered being smart because this is when they obtain lifetime behaviors and attitudes. Most students spend their time outside during the school day taking part in recreational exercises. It is the school’s job to provide a steady and supportive surrounding to decrease UV exposure and skin cancer by enhancing sun protective behavior. Health education is a well-known strategy which took place in schools to increase awareness of skin cancer by educating and promoting prevention and early findings. According to Minkler (1989), “Health education is a mixture of knowledge intended to support individuals and communities to improve their health”. The