The Ottawa Charter and Diabetes
The Ottawa Charter was endorsed to help develop partnerships and support organisations in creating and maintaining actions towards health promotions that fully support the wellbeing of individuals and the community. To ensure that better health is being achieved for everyone, cooperation amongst all public, private, government, non-government, international organisations, local authorities and the media is essential. The five actions areas of the Ottawa charter advocates; Developing personal skills, Reorienting health services, Creating supportive environments, Building healthy public policies and Strengthening community action. These five priority areas reflect on Australia's health priorities as they promote ways to improve the health of the entire population as well as reduce the health inequities among population groups. Diabetes has been identified as one of Australia's health priorities as it is a common disease that significantly affects the health of Australians.
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Action Area three of the Ottawa Charter is 'creating supportive environments'. This priority area focuses on the environments situated around individuals as it can determine their approach towards health. This section of the Ottawa Charter allows the community to partner with each other to construct a healthy environment that encourages, supports and provides resources towards individuals who have the potential to better their state of health. This can be shown in services who maintain a supportive environment for those who suffer from diabetes such as; Diabetes Australia and the National Diabetes Service Scheme (NDSS). The National Diabetes Service Scheme provides the community with diabetes - related products with the NDDS financially supports, as well as providing individuals with diabetes information and support services. This action area further benefits those who are diagnosed with diabetes.
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Action Area one of the Ottawa Charter is 'Developing personal Skills'. This action area modifies an individuals personal behaviour in order for them to realise what changes they can make to reduce the risk of developing illnesses or conditions. It educates them with the most suitable skills that are essential when needing to make improvements in areas of their health. These skills include; decision making, communicating, managing time, assertiveness and problem solving. The information allocated should allow people to learn about the options available in gaining control over their health. The 'Happy Healthy Harold' organisation travels around to schools as a educational program to teach school students healthy life skills as well as to grow up choosing healthy lifestyle choices. This allows awareness and information to spread to children who aren't educated on health. This program will benefit them as they grow and develop as it will teach them to eat healthy and to participate in physical which will significantly reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Action Area two of the Ottawa Charter is 'Reorienting health services'. Reorienting health services refers to making sure that health services are accessible an available to everyone in the community. It also focuses on how effective the health services are in prevention, promotion and cure. The health promotion within health services has a shared responsibility between individuals, community groups, health professionals, health service organisations and governments. These groups must work together to achieve the best possible outcome for better wellbeing amongst the population, This area should change the direction of health care systems to further pursue all sectors of health. Health services such as the free clinic check ups for diabetes type 1 and 2. The government has also contributed to help those who suffer from diabetes by financially supporting them through the cost of medication which benefits diabetes patients.
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Action Area four of the Ottawa Charter is 'Building healthy public policies'. This area focuses on making the 'healthier choice the easy choice' by implementing public policies that concentrates on the health barriers and the removal of them. These policies provide individuals and the community with an alternative to choose the healthier option as it will reduce the risk of them developing conditions such as Diabetes. This is seen in policies that are enforced by law in schools. This includes providing school students with alternative options as well as educating them and providing them with physical activity lessons. This will reduce their risk of diabetes as they age as physical activity and healthy dieting are two protective factors of diabetes.
The final action area of the Ottawa Charter is 'Strengthening Community Action' which allows individuals and the community to work together to ensure that priorities and strategies are being implemented so that better health is being achieved. It enhances he support and encouragement among the community to participate in ensuring that all services are accessible for everyone. All information is available and all learning opportunities are equitable. This also is demonstrated in the schools P&C. As they work together to improve health within schools such as healthy canteens and physical activity lessons which reduces the school students chances at developing chronic conditions such as diabetes.
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