Health Promotion / Substance Misuse

We understand the importance of health promotion and education, and its ability to bring about behavioural change at both a community and individual level.

With significant funding from the Federal Government through the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, health promotion and education has developed into a fundamental component of our primary health care and a core activity of the health service, and is set within the overall framework of the Ottowa Charter for Health Promotion (WHO, 1986):

Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve,their health. To reach a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, an individual or group must be able to identify and to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment. Health is, therefore, seen as a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities. Therefore, health promotion is not just the responsibility of the health sector, but goes beyond healthy life-styles to well-being.

Broadly, our approach to activity in areas of health promotion and education involve ensuring they are well planned, are developed in collaboration with other regional organisations and interest groups, are innovative but appropriate, and are evaluated for their effectiveness.

More specifically, particular activities pertaining to health promotion and education are targeted at groups which are at greater risk and/or which are ‘underserved’.

We place great emphasis on the lifestyle factors which influence health, as these are things which individuals are often able to manage themselves. Priority areas include excessive alcohol and substance use, nutrition, and physical activity.

We are currently in the process of renovating separate premises in the centre of town. Apart from providing badly needed office space, these will also facilitate a “healthy lifestyle and education centre”, able to provide education on a group and individual level, cooking classes, live theatre, and consulting rooms for use as part of targeted campaigns. We hope to have this facility operational by the start of 2008.