Impact in Canada
The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, introduced in 1986, remains a relevant model for health promotion and is still considered worldwide as a standard to improve health and decrease inequalities (Thompson et al, 2017). The charter highlights the importance of addressing the social determinants of health, and how the impact and include the overall health of an individual (Let’s Learn Public Health, 2017).
The Ottawa Charter highlighted that both health promotion and education are necessary for healthier population (Mcqueen & De Salazar, 2011). It brought forward ideas that were outside the biomedical model and the traditional western practice of medicine (Mcqueen & De Salazar, 2011). Mcqueen & De Salazar (2011) pose the question to the reader that where would Canadians and the world be without the Ottawa Charter?
Impact Globally
Globally, the Ottawa Charter has been applied to many health promotion strategies across numerous countries. The Charter has shaped international efforts to address health inequities and health promotion initiatives like education. The Charter focuses on sustainable approach to improve population health, that go beyond healthcare into education and social welfare.
There are 2 relevant examples in recent years that applied the Ottawa Charter to their health promotion strategy; Taiwan’s program for improved diabetes care and risky sexual behaviours among young people in sub-Saharan Africa.
Taiwan applied the five priority areas in the Ottawa Chater for diabetes patients, to improve the care received at home. The program consisted of developing personal skills of the healthcare professionals, reorienting health services to provide self-care services, community actions including home visits, nutritionists visited local restaurants to provide free nutritional information creating supportive environments and transferable health plans for the community (Lin et al, 2021). These focuses created improvements in health promotion and self0amangment, including blood sugar monitoring, exercise and dietary modifications (Lin et al, 2021).
Similarly, sub-Saharan Africa used the Ottawa Charter to aid in communication regarding risky sexual behaviours among young people (Tarkang et al, 2019). Health polices examined legislation, fiscal measures, taxation and organizational change (Tarkang et al, 2019). Laws and legislation that predispose young people to HIV transmission were examined to safe sexual environments (Tarkang et al, 2019). Parents were encouraged to create self-help groups, to support each other as well as youth, and like skills became part of the curriculum, all to increase communication regarding the HIV/AIDS pandemic (Tarkang et al, 2019). Health services were also examined to move in a health promotion direction and expand their current mandate (Tarkang et al, 2019).
Influence on Professional Practice
The Ottawa Charter and the profession of social work share similar core value of social justice, equity and empowerment. Social workers are skilled identifying how individuals, families and communities are impacted and influenced by their environments. In addition, they are trained to understand and address barriers to care and resources, finding alternative solutions and advocating for change (Ross & de Saxe Zerden, 2020). Social determinants of health are the basis of the profession, and this hierarchy the charter highlights the importance of addressing these issues (Ross & de Saxe Zerden, 2020).
Within my practice in a hospital setting, I provide case management support, coordination of services to transition to the community and ensure patients/families have the supports and tools needed for a successful transition. We routinely advocate for intervention and programs that tackle the root cause of inequities in the system.