Health promotion is shared responsibility, attendees learn

Islanders at a learning event this morning heard how organizations, the community, and individuals must all work together to promote good health.

Hosted by the Chief Public Health Office of the Department of Health and Wellness, “Your Work Matters in the Global Village” brought together more than 100 Islanders who work or volunteer in the health promotion field. Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over – and improve – their own health, moving beyond individual behaviour to a variety of social and environmental interventions.

“Islanders have a shared responsibility in health promotion and community wellness,” said Dr. David Sabapathy, the province’s deputy chief public health officer. “Today’s event looked at how organizations can work to build healthy public policy, create supportive environments, strengthen community actions, and develop personal skills, which are all key elements of the Ottawa Charter on Health Promotion.”

Several Island organizations sharing how they have implemented elements of the Ottawa Charter, including:

• the Smoke Free Places Act (Building Healthy Public Policy);

• DiverseCity PEI (Creating Supportive Environments);

• Healthy Living in ‘the Crick’/North Rustico (Strengthening Community Action);

• Trade HERizons (Developing Personal Skills); and

• First Nation Wellness Model (Reorienting Health Services).

“The Ottawa Charter on Health Promotion and the UN Sustainable Development Goals are broad concepts and goals, yet they are being applied right here in Prince Edward Island,” Dr. Sabapathy said.  “Health promotion matters globally and locally, and we all have a role in advancing our policies, community engagement, and commitments.”

Today’s learning event was preceded by the 6th Global Forum on Health Promotion held October 16 and 17 in Charlottetown.

The next step will be the presentation of the PEI Declaration, which is a civil society declaration that emerged from this week’s Global Forum. The declaration reaffirms the actions of the Ottawa Charter and proposes new strategies to shift action and investment in health promotion upstream for sustained, positive impact on population health.

The PEI Declaration will be submitted to the World Health Organization in advance of the ninth annual Global Conference on Health Promotion in Shanghai, China, this coming November. For more information visit, PEI Health Promotion Declaration.

Media contact:
Autumn Tremere
Department of Health and Wellness
902-368-5610
agtremere@gov.pe.ca