![]() These elements capture the essence of “health promotion”, which is about enabling people to take control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health. This holistic approach should empower individuals and communities to take actions for their own health, foster leadership for public health, promote intersectoral action to build healthy public policies and create sustainable health systems in the society. These forces largely shape the circumstances in which people grow, live, work and age as well as the systems put in place to deal with health needs ultimately leading to inequities in health between and within countries.( 6) Thus, the attainment of the highest possible standard of health depends on a comprehensive, holistic approach which goes beyond the traditional curative care, involving communities, health providers and other stakeholders. Health is heavily influenced by factors outside the domain of the health sector, especially social, economic and political forces. The enjoyment of highest attainable standard of health is considered as one of the fundamental rights of every human being.( 5) Over the past few decades, there is an increasing recognition that biomedical interventions alone cannot guarantee better health. Health, as the World Health Organization (WHO) defines, is the state of complete physical, social and mental well being and not just the absence of disease or infirmity. Illustration of how lifestyle-related issues contribute to increase in noncommunicable diseases( 4) There is a high prevalence of tobacco use along with increase in unhealthy dietary practices and decrease in physical activity contributing to increase in biological risk factors which in turn leads to increase in noncommunicable diseases (NCD).( 1– 3) Figure 1 below illustrates how lifestyle-related issues are contributing to increase in NCDs.( 4) The adverse effects of global climate change, sedentary lifestyle, increasing frequency of occurrence of natural disasters, financial crisis, security threats, etc., add to the challenges that public health faces today. The factors which aid progress and development in today's world such as globalization of trade, urbanization, ease of global travel, advanced technologies, etc., act as a double-edged sword as they lead to positive health outcomes on one hand and increase the vulnerability to poor health on the other hand as these contribute to sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy dietary patterns. The health scenario is positioned at unique crossroads as the world is facing a ‘triple burden of diseases’ constituted by the unfinished agenda of communicable diseases, newly emerging and re-emerging diseases as well as the unprecedented rise of noncommunicable chronic diseases. Health promotion is more relevant today than ever in addressing public health problems. Health promotion needs to be built into all the policies and if utilized efficiently will lead to positive health outcomes. It should also include settings-based approach to promote health in specific settings such as schools, hospitals, workplaces, residential areas etc. Efforts at promoting health encompassing actions at individual and community levels, health system strengthening and multi sectoral partnership can be directed at specific health conditions. Recently it has evolved through a series of international conferences, with the first conference in Canada producing the famous Ottawa charter. Although, not a new concept, health promotion received an impetus following Alma Ata declaration. In such a situation, health issues can be effectively addressed by adopting a holistic approach by empowering individuals and communities to take action for their health, fostering leadership for public health, promoting intersectoral action to build healthy public policies in all sectors and creating sustainable health systems. There is a global acceptance that health and social wellbeing are determined by many factors outside the health system which include socioeconomic conditions, patterns of consumption associated with food and communication, demographic patterns, learning environments, family patterns, the cultural and social fabric of societies sociopolitical and economic changes, including commercialization and trade and global environmental change.
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