Health Promotion: whose responsibility is it?
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Globally a lot of concern has been raised about the state of health of the earth’s inhabitants. Many nations are investigating the rising cost of health care and its effects on the economy; while others are focused on the drastic increase in chronic non communicable diseases; the Caribbean is no exception. How does this impact on you the individual, the family and the community? Are you doing your part to decrease the cost and improve the economy?
Member nations of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1978 adopted the Declaration of Alma Ata and declared “Health for all” by the year 2000. Since governments have the responsibility for the nations’ health, they have been mandated to put in place adequate health social measures to address health issues. Many primary health care initiatives were launched throughout the world encouraging people to strive to obtain a better state of health and to maintain their health by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
The world is now well into the twenty-
Treatment of these life style diseases put a strain on any country’s economy especially when health care is financed by the state. Each individual can do his part to decrease this health care expenditure to himself and his nation.
By honestly answering the following questions and carefully considering your answers, you have already made a step towards cost reduction. Are you happy with your life as it is now? Do you feel stressed out? Do you know what the state of your health is? When was your last complete physical examination?
At your age, are you as fit as you thought you would be five or ten years ago? Do you have a chronic non-
This decision cannot be a “one off/one on”, but instead a part of your daily consciousness and a progressive work. Yes, work! Becoming healthier and staying healthy is not a passive event. It is a conscious life changing phenomenon that impacts on an individual’s mind, body and spirit.
Start by acknowledging that your health state is/ is not what you would like it to be. Think about realistic ways you can improve it or maintain it as needed. This article seeks not to blame in any way, but to empower individuals and to bring the realization of the power that is within each of us.
Health is a reflection of the individual’s lifestyle. Lifestyle is a reflection of the individual’s behavior and behaviour is subsequently a reflection of the individual’s mental processes. Focusing your thoughts on health and wellness, could help you to adopt and work towards positive health behaviors. Eventually, this positive health behaviour will become your lifestyle. In the 1950s, the health belief model proposed by psychologists identified that health related actions depend on a motivational factor. This factor is usually a belief or perception of being vulnerable to serious ill health. Adhering to health recommendations would reduce or eliminate the threat of illness with acceptable cost savings.
In an effort to promote a healthier human capital, improve productivity and reduce expenditure on health insurance and health care for the employer and the individual, many job sites have implemented health promotion programs for employees (Mc Leroy et al.1998). There is therefore a direct relationship between health promotion, health maintenance and economics. What is your investment? Are you comfortable with meeting the physical, mental and economic cost of ill health? In the next issue you will be set on a path of cost containment.
References
Mc Leroy et al. 1998. An ecological perspective on health care
World Health Organization: Declaration of Alma Ata retrieved from http://www.who.int/publications/almaata_declaration_en.pdf
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