Hi from Melbourne Australia
One of the problems we have in Australia and I believe we are not alone, is
the fact that we have a set of national health goals and targets (carved in
stone) that are cast in a disease based discourse ie cancer, injury,
diabetes, CVD, mental health, etc. Although the policy behind the goals
espouses broader strategies based on social determinants, in many cases the
disease focus is taken literally and used as a benchmark to determine the
outcome of project proposals and evaluations.
This is problematic not the least because funding is now increasingly tied
to short term 'measurable outcomes'. This also diverts many public health
initiatives away from addressing social determinants and even our community
health services, which were once politically engaged around change have now
bowed to a 'primary health care' model which focusses on individuals and
their behaviour.
Although there is increasing attention to inequalities, we need vision and
leadership in order to challenge the prevailing conservatism.
Thank you for bringing the 9 steps to a policy debate to my attention.
Debra O'Connor
At 02:39 PM 09/12/99 +1100, you wrote:
>Hi Folks from Tasmania, Australia,
>
>I have been using the Solid Facts in our planning, and training, and even
>right up to the top of the organisational tree to make our Directors aware.
>As for making trouble we are getting heaps because they don't know what to
>do....but we are working on that. I used the Solid Facts only yesterday
>training men and women in industry who undertake occupational health and
>safety (usually off the side of their desks). We discussed exclusion and
>social support. People just understand this better than medical health and
>behavioural risk factors!!
>
>Regards
>
>Alan
>
>Alan Sutherland
>Health Promotion Policy Officer
>Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Unit
>Department of Health and Human Services
>PO Box 125B, Hobart
>TASMANIA
>AUSTRALIA 7000
>
>Phone: (03) 6233 3147
>FAX: (03) 6233 2899
>E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>Australian International:
>011 + 61 + 3 + (eight digit call number)
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Dennis Raphael [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>> Sent: Thursday, 9 December 1999 2:40
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: 9 steps to a policy debate on health
>>
>> Social Determinants of Health: the Solid Facts
>>
>> The booklet is part of a WHO Regional Office for Europe campaign
>> to present the evidence on social determinants in a clear
>> and understandable form.
>>
>> The campaign has been initiated by WHO Centre for Urban Health and
>> the
>> intention is to promote awareness, debate and action on the social
>> determinants of health. The campaign aims to reach the widest
>> possible
>> audience of public health advocates and professionals, community
>> activists and decision-makers. The booklet identifies the broad
>> implications for policy in ten selected areas.
>>
>> To obtain this accessible and readable PDF document,
>>
>> 1. go to: http://www.who.dk/healthy-cities/
>>
>> 2. Click on "Books and Documents to Download"
>>
>> 3. Click on "Publications to download"
>>
>> 4. Click on "here"
>>
>> 5. Click on "Social determinants of health: the solid facts"
>>
>> 6. Download the file
>>
>> 7. Make copies of document and send to local public health unit, local
>> media, and your colleagues.
>>
>> 8. Make trouble.
>>
>> 9. Tell us about the responses you receive.
>>
>>
>> Dennis Raphael
>> Visit our Web Site for information about our Seniors Participatory and
>> Community Quality of Life Projects! Free Reports Also.
>>
>> http://www.utoronto.ca/qol http://www.utoronto.ca/seniors
>>
>> ********************************************************************
>> Long have I looked for the truth about the life of people together.
>> That life is crisscrossed, tangled, and difficult to understand.
>> I have worked hard to understand it and when I had done so
>> I told the truth as I found it.
>>
>> - Bertolt Brecht
>> ********************************************************************
>>
>> Dennis Raphael, Ph.D.
>> Associate Professor and Associate Director,
>> Masters of Health Science Program in Health Promotion
>> Department of Public Health Sciences
>> Graduate Department of Community Health
>> University of Toronto
>> McMurrich Building, Room 101
>> Toronto, Ontario, CANADA M5S 1A8
>> voice: (416) 978-7567
>> fax: (416) 978-2087
>> e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>
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