PHA-Exchange> Press release on Final Bangkok Charter

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The Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion in a globalized world

Introduction

The Bangkok Charter identifies the strategies and commitments that are
required to address the determinants of health in a globalized world
through health promotion. It affirms that policies and partnerships to
empower communities, and to improve health and health equality should
be at the centre of global and national development.

The Bangkok Charter complements and builds upon the values, principles
and action strategies of health promotion established by the Ottawa
Charter for Health Promotion and the recommendations of the subsequent
global health promotion conferences. These are shared by activists and
practitioners around the world and have been confirmed by Member States
through the World Health Assembly.

The Bangkok Charter reaches out to people, groups and organizations
that are critical to the achievement of health. This includes
governments and politicians at all levels, civil society, the private
sector and international organisations.

Health promotion

The United Nations recognize that the enjoyment of the highest
attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every
human being without discrimination. Health promotion is based on this
critical human right. It offers a positive and inclusive concept of
health as a determinant of the quality of life, and encompasses mental,
ECONOMIC and spiritual well being. Health promotion is the process of
enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants,
and
thereby improve their health. Health promotion is a core function of
public health and contributes to tackling communicable and
noncommunicable diseases and other threats to health (IE, SOCIAL
DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH). It is an
effective investment in improving health and human development. It
contributes to reducing health, ECONOMIC and gender inequities.

Addressing the determinants of health

The context for health promotion has changed markedly since the
development of the Ottawa Charter. Increasing inequalities within and
between countries, new patterns of consumption and communication,
commercialisation, environmental degradation, DETERIORATING HEALTH SERVICES
IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, PRIVATIZATIO OF THE SAME and urbanization are some
of the critical factors that influence health. Rapid and often adverse
social change affects working conditions, learning environments, family
patterns and the culture and social fabric of communities. Evolving
patterns of health and demographic transitions have also contributed to
change. Women and men, RICH AND POOR  are affected differently by these
developments;
the vulnerability of children and exclusion of marginalised, disabled
and indigenous peoples have increased.

Globalization can open up new opportunities for cooperation to improve
health, for example through improved mechanisms for global governance
and enhanced information technology and communication, and sharing of
experiences. IFY SENTENCE   Health promotion strategies can address
avoidable transnational health risks by enabling policies and partnerships
which ensure that benefits for health from globalization are maximised and
MADE MORE equitable, and the negative effects are minimised and mitigated.

To manage the challenges of globalisation, policy must be coherent
across all levels of governments, United Nations bodies and other
organizations, including the private sector. WHY? This will strengthen
compliance, transparency and accountability with international
agreements and treaties that affect health. NOT NECESSARILY
The global commitment to reduce poverty by addressing all of the Millennium
Development Goals is a critical entry point for health promotion action. BY
FAR NOT ENOUGH
The active participation of civil society is crucial in this process.
Progress has
been made in placing health at the centre of development, but much more
remains to be achieved.

Strategies for health promotion in a globalized world

Progress towards a healthier world requires strong political action,
broad participation and sustained advocacy. Health promotion has an
established repertoire of proven effective strategies which need to be
fully utilised.IT ALSO HAS PROVEN WEAK IN TACKLING THE STRUCTURAL CAUSES OF
POVERTY THAT LEAD TO ILL-HEALTH. To make further advances all sectors and
settings must
act to:

Advocate for health SEEN AS A human right  and for solidarity;
Invest in sustainable policies, actions and infrastructure to address
ALL determinants of health;
Build capacity for policy development, POLITICAL leadership IN HEALTH,
health promotion practice, knowledge transfer and research, and health
literacy;
Regulate and legislate to ensure a high level of protection from harm
and enable equal opportunity for health and well being for all people;
Partner and build alliances with public, private, nongovernmental
organizations and civil society to create CONSCIOUSNESS ABOUT THE SOCIAL
DETRMINANTS OF HEALTH AND FOR sustainable actions.
Commitments to THE ALMA ATA DECLARATION AND health for all NOW

Make the promotion of health AND EQUITY central to the global development
agenda

Government and international bodies ACTUALLY ALL OF US must act to close the
gap in health between rich and poor. Strong intergovernmental agreements
that increase health and collective health security need to be in place.
WILL THAT HELP? WE NEED SOCIAL MOBILIZATION FOR BENEFICIARIES TO CLAIM THEIR
RIGHTS
Effective mechanisms for global governance for health are needed to
address all harmful effects of trade, products, services and marketing
strategies. BUT THESE MECHANISMS MUST BE BOTTOM UP THRU EMPOWERMENT OF
BENEFICIARIES Health promotion must become an integral part of domestic and
foreign policy and international relations, including in situations of war
and conflict. This requires actions to promote dialogue and cooperation
among nation states, civil society, and the private sector. THIS IS NOT
GOING TO COME FROM ABOVE
These efforts can build on the example of existing treaties such as the
World Health Organization Framework Convention for Tobacco Control. MORE
THAN THAT IS NEEDED IN SOCIAL MOBILIZATION

Make the promotion of health a core responsibility for all of
governments. A NON-COMMITTAL STATEMENT

Health determines socio-economic and political development. AND
VICE-VERSA!!! Therefore governments at all levels must tackle poor health
and inequalities as a matter of urgency. VAGUE  The health sector has a key
role to provide leadership in building policies and partnerships for health
promotion. Responsibility to address ALL the determinants of health rests
with the whole of government, and depends upon actions by many sectors as
well as the health sector. NO! IT RESTS WITH EMPOWERING BENEFICIARIES TO
CLAIM THEIR RIGHTS. An integrated policy approach within government, and a
commitment to working with civil society and the private sector and across
settings, is essential to make progress in addressing these determinants.
HARDLY...Local, regional and national governments must give priority to
investments in health, within and outside the health sector, and provide
sustainable financing for health promotion. To
ensure this, all levels of government should make the health
consequences of policies and legislation explicit, using tools such as
equity focussed health impact assessments, and intersectoral national or
local health plans.HARDLY ENOUGH AND TOP DOWN...

Make the promotion of health a key focus of communities and civil
society

Communities and civil society often lead in initiating, shaping and
undertaking health promotion. They need to have rights,MEANING WHAT?? THEY
DO HAVE!!  resources and EMPOWERMENT
opportunities so that their contributions are amplified and
sustained. Support for capacity building AND EMPOWERMENT is particularly
important in less developed communities. EVERYWHERE! Well organized and
empowered communities are highly effective in determining their own health,
and are capable of making governments and the private sector accountable for
the health consequences of their policies and practices. SO WHY ALL THE
ABOVE TOP DOWN RECOMMENDATIONS?  Civil society needs to
exercise its power in the marketplace by giving preference to the
goods, services and shares of companies that exemplify corporate social
responsibility. THIS IS BULLSHIT Grass roots community projects, civil
society groups, and women's organizations have demonstrated their
effectiveness in health promotion, and provide models of practice for others
to follow. BRAVO. AND WE NEED TO FOCUS PROMOTION ON REPLICATING THIS
100,000FOLD...
Health professional associations have a special contribution to make.REALLY?
ARE THEY NORT OFTEN CONSERVATIVE?

Make the promotion of health a requirement for good corporate practices.
GOOD LUCK!

The private sector has a direct impact on the health of people and on
the determinants of health through their influence on local settings
and national cultures, environments and wealth distribution. The
private sector, like other employers and the informal sector, has THE
OBLIGATION to ensure health and safety in the workplace, and
promote the health and well being of their employees, their families
and communities. They also contribute to wider global health impacts,
such as those associated with global environmental change. The private
sector must ensure that its actions comply with local, national and
international regulations and agreements that promote and protect
health. Ethical and responsible business practices and fair trade
 should be DEMANDEed by
consumers and civil society, and by government incentives and
regulations.

A global pledge to make it happen

Meeting these commitments requires better application of existing,
proven strategies, as well as the use of new entry points and
innovative responses. Partnerships, alliances, networks and
collaborations provide exciting and rewarding ways of bringing people
and organizations together around common goals and joint actions to
improve the health of populations. CHEERLEADER SENTENCE Each sector -
government, civil society and private - has a unique role and
responsibility. BUT THE EMPOWERMENT OF BENEFICIARIES OVERSHADOWS ALL THESE
RESPONSIBILITIES Progress in addressing ALL the underlying determinants of
health in many cases will
only occur by EMPOWERING BENEFICIARIES TO CLAIM THEIR RIGHTS  AND THEN BY
working together so that resources can be used moreeffectively and
efficiently to achieve lasting results.

Since the adoption of the Ottawa Charter, a significant number of
resolutions at national and global level have been signed in support of
health promotion, but this has not always been followed by action. BECAUSE
THEY WERE PUSHED TOP DOWN  The
participants of this Bangkok Conference forcefully call on Member
States and the World Health Organization to close this implementation
gap and, THROUGH THE EMPOWERMENT OF BENEFICIARIES, move to policies and
partnerships for action. This will require political leadership. BY whom?
WHO?

Conference participants expect the World Health Organization, in
collaboration with others, to work with Member States to allocate
resources, initiate a plan of action, monitor performance through
appropriate indicators and targets (INCLUDING THOSE OF SOCIAL DETERMINANTS)
and report on progress at regular
intervals. To support this process United Nations organisations are
asked to explore the benefits of developing and implementing a Global
Treaty for Health. MEANING WHAT?

This Charter urges everyone to join in a worldwide partnership
to promote health, with both global and local engagement and action.

We, the participants of the 6th Global Conference on Health Promotion
in Bangkok, Thailand, pledge to advance these commitments to improve
health and to advocate for the required resources, policies and
practices.

11 August 2005