Challenges and Changing Context in the 21st Century for Health Promotion and Education

1. Changing Health Burden, and Complex Determinants of Health:

Both developing and developed countries are confronting a developing extent of elderly population and a population with more chronic conditions and non-communicable diseases. In addition, many developing countries are still facing with infectious diseases, and gradually more injuries and violence as their economies grow. Changing lifestyle brings more stress, and along these lines a threat to mental health of those in both developed and developing countries alike. With extensive population mobility, international travel, no country is safe from potential major communicable diseases outbreaks such as SARS or human influenza or even not-yet-known emerging diseases. Environmental changes are influencing an extensive number of nations either through sweeping worldwide climatic changes or geographically related natural disasters, such as tsunami, storm causing thousands of deaths by one stroke. Fundamentally all countries are facing numerous, rather than single type of health burden, the basic causes of which are highly pertinent for actions in health promotion.

2. Inequity and Health:

In most countries, health is improving. In some countries the trend is reverse, e.g. due to HIV/AIDS, war and civil unrest, and excessive alcohol consumption. Widening health gaps between and within countries is a global concern.

3. The Communication Revolution:

Access to dependable information about what determines health and appropriate channels to communicate health needs of the communities should be a public commodity that is to be available for all.

4. Expanding and Increasing Democratization in Countries around the Globe:

Such changes and concerns make another setting that ought to legitimately drive activities in health promotion, especially with regards to creating healthy public policies, and community empowerment. The two areas still need to be further developed in many countries.

5. Globalization and Urbanization:

The dynamics of globalization and urbanization influence health in many ways: physical and cultural environment, trade, transports, tourism, economic transactions, production of goods and working environment.

6. The Threat of War and Terrorism: 

The definitive threat to good health is the perilous condition made by war and violence.