Health, according to the World Health Organization, is “a condition of full physical, emotional and social well being and not just the absence of sickness and disease.” Various definitions have been used over the years for different purposes. While the definition for health varies from country to country, there are some general guidelines that all health professionals follow when determining the general health of an individual.
Health refers to the well-being of an individual, family, community, country or the world at large. It also includes the ability to experience well-being. Equity also plays a vital role in the development of healthy communities. Equity refers to differences among groups in terms of culture, tradition, socialization, economic resources and other aspects. Health is a complex arena involving many factors including culture, demographics, income, life experiences, access to quality resources and health services, as well as environmental and occupational environments.
Health promotion is an important strategy developed to improve the health and the population’s health. The strategies may include public education and information, community improvement, policy development, community organization and involvement, and evaluation and monitoring. Community health promotion involves creating healthy environments in which individuals can live, work, and thrive. Community health communication and community health education involve informing people about current public health issues, promoting healthy lifestyles, and identifying and reducing the impact of environmental and occupational stress on health.
Community Health Promotion Plans (CHP) are integrated community efforts aimed at creating and maintaining healthy environments through prevention, early detection, and treatment. A community health plan focuses on its primary functions by integrating and coordinating a number of different strategies. The primary function of a CHP is to provide a coordinated system for the monitoring, evaluation, and evaluation of the health of the community. Community health promotion plans aim at promoting healthy environments through policies and programs that provide financial support to local organizations that implement quality control measures and provide technical assistance to local health departments. The overall strategy of community health promotion plans is to enhance the health and the well-being of its residents. By creating a comprehensive network of public and private partners, the strategic goals of the plan are to improve the quality of the environment, promote community well-being, reduce the burden and cost of treating chronic diseases, increase the quality of life for all the residents, improve the social determinants of health, decrease the economic burden on the community, and improve the quality of life for all the participants.
Community-based medical care has become an important component of public health and medical care delivery. It aims at primary as well as secondary prevention of disease; promotion of general well-being; maintenance of physical and mental health; maintenance of social responsibility; improvement of community connections. CHP helps to expand the access to quality health care services to all the people living in the community through comprehensively linking the different entities of the community, especially the key stakeholders. Through this, they can identify the needs and share the necessary resources for the sustained improvement of the quality of life for all the residents of the community.
Community-based health promotion programs focus on several dimensions of social determinants of health. This includes physical determinants such as healthy environment, nutrition, cleanliness, and safety. Mental health promotion focuses on the mental health of the community and their relation with the physical, emotional, and social determinants of health such as family support, communication, education, work satisfaction, and happiness.