Last week, there was a discussion on the listserv about health promotion
education. I am a Canadian, in the process of completing my MSc in Health
Promotion from University of Alberta, and I am currently working in health
promotion in England. The debate here surrounding education for health
promoters has certainly heated up, but is fueled by a much different fire:
there is a trend here towards having Public Health Specialists versus Health
Promotion Specialists. Having compared job descriptions, they are exactly
the same, yet Public Health Specialists are being paid significantly more
for their job. The feeling seems to be that Health Promotion is quite passe,
and that one must become a specialist in Public Health in order to remain
competitive. That said, "health promotion" as I would define it
(determinants of health, Ottawa Charter, etc) is being practiced by both
Health Promotion Specialists and Public Health Specialists.

My question is: what is the current state-of-affairs of the debate between
Public Health and Health Promotion in Canada?

Genevieve Jones