Health promotion policy
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Date
2013-06-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Government of Malawi
Abstract
Since the 1960’s the Ministry of Health has demonstrated its commitment to
health education and health promotion in all aspects of public health in
Malawi. An initial step in demonstrating its commitment was the establishment
of the Health Education Section in 1969. At that time health education needs
were few and less complex, hence the focus was on preventive health. For
the past four decades, health education and promotion products and services
have been an essential component of the Ministry’s strategies for addressing
health issues
Malawi, through the Ministry of Health, has over the years been responsive to
the various UN Conventions and agreements aimed at promoting health. The
1978 Alma Ata convention on Primary Health Care (PHC) is one of the global
strategies which the MOH fully supported by strengthening the Health
Education Section (HES). The challenges of emerging communicable and
non-communicable diseases have over the past two decades set dynamic
changes in the health education needs, not only for Malawi but globally.
These changes have led to a move towards prioritising health promotion.
Furthermore, the current Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP) has recognized
health promotion as an important component in the delivery of the Essential
Health Package (EHP). The need for a Health Promotion (HP) policy is
therefore timely to ensure a coherent approach that takes into account both
intra-sector and inter-sector collaboration and coordination to address the
determinants of health.
At this juncture it has become necessary to put in place a national policy for
HP to guide strategy formulation, programming and implementation by
partners in health and all other relevant sectors. In addition the policy will
clarify mandates of national and district level health promotion within the
decentralised government setting. It is envisaged that existence of the HP
policy will add value to the efforts of all stakeholders in delivering health
promotion services in the country.
I wish to urge all stakeholders to join the efforts in operationalizing the
National Health Promotion Policy. The Government shall at all cost provide a
supportive and enabling environment to ensure that all Malawians increase
control over the determinants of health and thereby improve their health.
Description
Health Policy