Ottawa Charter

Ottawa Charter Aim

To declare aims, process, outcomes. To motivate nations to promote health.

Strategies for effective health promotion

1. Enable

2. Mediate

3. Advocate

Enable

empowering individuals to control their health

Mediate

resolving problems to bring people to an agreement

Advocate

to recommend/plead for a cause

5 Action Areas 

Bad Cats Smell Dead Rats

1. Build Healthy Public Policy

2. Create Supportive Environment

3. Strengthen Community Action

4. Develop Personal Skills

5. Reorient Healthy Services

Build Healthy Public Policy

• Aim: to identify obstacles & remove them, so healthier choices is the easy choice.

• ensure health is considered in all policies made by authoritative people (e.g., gov.)

• legislating/advocating healthy behaviours & banning unhealthy ones

Create Supportive Environments

• recognises people are linked to their environment.

• to promote health, people must take care of themselves, communities, & natural environment

• natural environment must be maintained (e.g., reduced logging)

• living & working conditions must be safe & enjoyable (e.g., no bullying in workplace, casual Fridays)

Strengthen Community Action

• communities must participate in change to feel empowered

• they should take control of own health, set priorities, plan action & evaluate effectiveness

• e.g., fundraising to put shade above playgrounds

Develop Personal Skills

• allowing people to develop skills for life-long health & wellbeing

• must be able to make healthy choices through:

  • education (e.g., sex edu in high school)

  • decision making (e.g., deciding to participate in organised sport)

  • communication skills (e.g., explaining to other why you don’t drink/smoke)

  • coping strategies (e.g., chewing on ice rather than unhealthy snacks)

  • resiliency (e.g., ability to say no & stick to it when pressured)

Reorient Healthy Services

• health services must change attitude & see patients as a whole person with needs & restrictions based on lifestyle.

• done by:

  • placing many health services at one location to reduce transportation needs

  • respecting cultural needs to support individuals & communities (e.g., Aboriginal traditional birthing methods)

• example - headspace recognises that young people use internet more for info, so they have a web, helping them w/ health info.