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HEALTHY
COMMUNITIES
Healthy Communities
is a world-wide movement built upon the
belief that health (at both individual and
community levels) is determined by many
factors including economic and
environmental sustainability, social
justice, social conditions, political
access and cultural
opportunities.
A Healthy Community
has a vision of future well-being for the
total community and it uses activities
that help community members achieve this
vision. The ultimate goal is to create
opportunities for people to improve their
personal and collective health status
through community actions.
Healthy Communities
are NOT simply an outcome. Rather, it is a
process that continually creates
opportunities that allow the community to
flourish and work toward a higher quality
for its citizens.
Healthy
Community ...
- Builds on the
knowledge that people's health is
influenced by a complex web of
factors;
- Builds on the
sense that the focus of a healthy
community is the quality of life of its
citizens;
- Shares vision or
common goals among a significant
proportion of the population about what
are the priorities for
action;
- Is not the job
of one group, agency or organization
alone, but rather the results of joint
efforts of a variety of sectors,
including business, community
organizations, citizens and a range of
government agencies and
departments;
- Builds health
for its residents through the actions
and policies at the local level that
prevents problems, rather than relying
on treatment and rehab;
- Incorporates a
holistic approach rather than a
piece-meal approach that disregards the
total effect. (Baxter,
1995)
A Healthy
Community ...
- Meets the basic
needs (food, shelter, income, safety
and work) of all its
residents
- Provides a
clean, safe physical
environment
- Has residents
who respect and support each
other
- Is strong
mutually supportive and
non-exploitative
- Involves the
community in local
government
- Has a high
degree of public participation in and
control over the decisions affecting
one's life, health and
well-being
- Promotes and
celebrates it historical and cultural
heritage
- Provides easily
accessible and appropriate health and
social services
- Has a diverse,
vital and innovative
economy
- Has access to a
wide variety of experience and
resources with the possibility of
multiple contacts, interactions and
communications
- Has a community
form that is compatible with and
enhances the above parameters (WHO,
1986)
There is no one way
or best way to build a healthy Community.
Each community is unique, with its own
resources, challanges, values, and
history. Additional, each issue will
demand a different plan and strategies.
Each issues will involve different players
from the community. The best way to build
a healthy community is to clarify a
vision, identify the barriers and listen
to the voice of the community. These will
help determine the best
strategies.
We can also learn
from the successes of those who have gone
before us. These are some of the
strategies other groups have
used.
- Involving
community members as
planners
- Actively
involving community members in setting
priorities
- Wide community
participation
- Building broad
intersectoral participation, including
business, labor, religious
organizations, social services,
planners governmental agencies,
community agencies, and environmental
groups, working together with residents
to form a common vision of a healthy
community
- Implementing
healthy public policies
- Securing local
government commitment
- Building
coalitions, partnerships, and/or
networks
- Encouraging
collaboration among community
groups
- Supporting local
healthy community initiatives and
grassroots efforts
- Assisting in
planning local and regional
activities.
- Linking local
and regional leaders and
organizations
- Assist local
groups with media promotion
- Providing
opportunities for members of local
communities to network and share
information with others
- Providing
consultation and facilitation
services
- Providing
leadership for work toward a common
vision
- Increasing
awareness and understanding of HC and
the benefits of HC movement within
their community
There are a number
of excellent websites that describe the
Healthy Communities Movement, how they
work, how they and build and how to get
started.
www.healthycommunities.org
www.opc.on.ca/ohcc
www.well.com/user/bbear/hc_articles.html
www.communityinitiatives.com
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