Health management as global challenge

Abstract

Background

A hopeful journey into health was celebrated during the 19th World Conference of the International Union of Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) initiated together with the Canadian Consortium for Health Promotion Research (CCHPR) from 10 to 15 June 2007 in Vancouver, Canada.

Aims

One of the main goals of this conference was to assess and determine the relevance of the Ottawa Charta-the historical document that was adopted in 1986 by an international World Health Organisation (WHO) conference-in the 21st century. These aims are reflected in the present work.

Methods

To enable a systematic transformation for reducing worldwide health inequities, different main topics were focussed on during the conference and are reflected on the basis of the current literature.

Results

Four main aspects are the focus: (1) creating supporting environments for health, (2) building healthy public policy, (3) strengthening community action and developing personal skills and (4) reorienting health systems. The outlines presented in this reflection provide a brief summary of important strategic directions through which networks of professionals and institutions can positively and constructively contribute to reducing health inequalities within and between countries in the world created by social, political, economic and environmental determinants. Therefore, several intersectoral future activities focussing on education e.g. in schools, workplaces, the setting of the family or even the hospital need to be performed.

Conclusion

Thus, health management is expected to join disease management as an integral part of future health care concepts.