Status and Trends of Health Promotion

The new millennium presented an opportunity to strengthen institutional capacity to promote health at all levels. Since the Ottawa Charter in 1986, most countries invested a considerable amount of resources to create institutional units in their Ministries of Health increasing activities to promote health. Academic institutions increased programs to train and develop the public health workforce with Health Promotion skills and competencies. Local governments adopted healthy and supportive environments with communities, including schools, universities, and workplaces. Most programs have tried to mainstream Health Promotion in all their activities. Nonetheless, as it turns out the health system and the training of public health workers still lags behind in developing and strengthening Health Promotion skills and competencies. The Health Promotion mapping, as an example, shows the strengths and weaknesses in the Member states of the Americas. In analyzing the situation recommendations are forthcoming to increase the capacity of health and social systems to promote the health of people and communities. The mapping on institutional Health Promotion capacities included an analysis of the following: the concept of Health Promotion, the implementation of healthy public policies, the implementation of healthy spaces, supportive environments, community participation and empowerment, the reorientation of health services, the development of capacities to promote health, and to disseminate information and experiences. Information, knowledge, experiences, especially practices with potential to promote health effectively will be highlighted and shared. The special context of border communities will be presented, with data from the U.S. Mexico Border Binational Health Councils and the Sister Cities experiences and reflexions.