Prologue
Promotion of Health is a new trend in public Health and it seeks efficiency in Health care delivery system through a process of empowering individuals and community to avail and utilize Health resources. This concept combines the top down approach of old public Health and people’s participation in community Health, with delegation of power and decision making to the local people to have strong “Nut cracking” effect and is expected to bring about the desired change and envisaged in Ottawa Declaration of 1986, Health For All of W.H.O. 2000 and declaration of commission on social determinants of Health established by W.H.O. in 2005 (chaired by Michel Marmot of the University College of London).
Global Society for Health Promotion & Education is an all India Health Professionals Society contributing to Health of the Nation through Health Promotion and Education. It is the successor of the South East Asia Regional Bureau founded by Late Dr. Sri. V.Ramakrishna, Head of the Health Education Division WHO-SEAR in 1983. All the life members of SEARB continue to be member of the Global Society for Health Promotion & Education. Our affiliation to IUHPE, Paris is under consideration. The Headquarters is in Bangalore. It has Seven State Chapters (Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Delhi, Punjab & West Bengal).
There was some reluctance on the part of policy and decision makers to accept the role of health education in behavioral changes, but now it has been established by well researched evidence that Health Education per se may not be enough to bring about behavioral changes, but it should be accompanied/followed by a process of empowerment of people, creation of favorable situations for behavioral and attitudinal changes to occur. This is possible by attacking the social, environmental and bio-medical determinants of ill health simultaneously.
Nearly a quarter of this planet’s Population, about a billion people, live in South East Asia. Even to-day, in spite of amazing scientific and technological advancement, over 80% of these people lack the basic necessities of human life, particularly in delivery of health care services and continue to be victims of the vicious circle of poverty, ignorance and ill health. The governmental organizations have been playing a significant role in generating awareness and delivery of health care services even at door steps of the community through PHCs and sub centers. Still, there is urgent need for NGOs to assume greater responsibility to develop innovative approaches to overcome ignorance and help people to discover their inner potential and take responsibility for their own health and seek appropriate remedial measures. The role of this society, frankly speaking is to promote health awareness and contribute to the achievement of equity in health, between and within the States.
