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Health Promotion And Primary Health Care

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‘Health promotion and primary health care principles are integral to public health as they seek extensive solutions to problems that defy biological, genetic or biochemical solutions’ (Mittlemark, cited in Keleher 2001, p. 7). However, health inequalities are still prevalent across the public health sector which need to be addressed. Particularly, this paper will focus on the National Tobacco Campaign and how these principles are incorporated in the program and their success in addressing the health inequalities associated. Smoking is one of the largest leading causes of preventable death and disease in Australia and is also ‘responsible for more drug-related hospitalisations and deaths than alcohol and illicit drugs combined’ (Australian…show more content…
Health promotion principles were developed to strengthen the skills and capabilities of individuals and to assist in lessening the impact of social, environmental, political and economic conditions on individual and population health (Australian Health Promotion Association 2015). Additionally, the aim of health promotion is to support the health of all Australians as well as reducing health inequalities. ‘The Ottawa Charter encourages health professionals and governments not only to educate people about health matters but also to change the environments in which people live and to involve the community in projects to improve health’ (World Health Organisation 1986, np). For the promotion of health, from the framework in which the World Health Organisation’s Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion provides, five key action areas were developed and implemented. Of these five priority areas, the National Tobacco Campaign incorporates building healthy public policies, developing personal skills as well as reorienting health services.

Building healthy public policies include approaches such as legislation, fiscal measures, taxation and organisational change which are essentially involved in ensuring safer and healthier goods and services, healthier public services and cleaner
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