The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion

In 1986 the World Health Organization (WHO) published the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion.  It identifies five action areas for health promotion:

• Building healthy public policies
• Creating supportive environments
• Developing community action
• Developing personal skills
• The reorientation of health services

As suggested by Allan Kellehear within Compassionate Cities: Public Health and End of Life Care (2005), Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief has found these five domains provide a helpful framework for considering different areas of action to improve experiences of death, dying, loss and care:

Building healthy public policy: 

Do public policies acknowledge and make provisions for ill health, death, dying, loss and care?

Creating supportive environments

Is there a culture and opportunities where matters relating to death, dying and bereavement can be discussed and acted on?  

Strengthening community action:

Are communities equipped with the skills, knowledge, networks, resources and confidence to support each other through these difficult times?

Developing personal skills, knowledge: 

Is information and education available to allow people to develop their personal skills and knowledge relating to death, dying and bereavement?

Re-orientating health care services: 

Do professional health and social care services support the education and empowerment of individuals and communities relating to death, dying and bereavement?

 

Photo by Deniz Altindas