Oral

Much attention has been and continues to be focused by governments and other on individual lifestyle/behavior change as the solution to many of today’s public health situations. It’s not that lifestyle and behavior change do not matter – they do. But a substantial body of evidence generated over the past few decades and the Report of the WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health (2008) show that the broader determinants of health have an equally if not more important impact on individual and community health. Governments have tended to focus their efforts on health education and promotion to encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles. IN the rush for politically ‘quick fixes”, sight has been lost of the importance of building community competence for public health – this being the capacity of communities to promote and facilitate a contextual environment of health equity-based social determinants of health-oriented policies, programs and practice which assist individual and families to take control of their situation and improve their health and wellbeing.

Session Objectives: Demonstrate the importance of community development and competence building as critical elements for achieving "Health for All.”

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)