The World Health Organization's 'Health-promoting School' model: a potential avenue for developmental origins of health and disease education in Africa
Date
2020
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
African Sun Media
Abstract
Traditional health care strategies to manage illness are based on the tenets of
prevention and cure. Health promotion is an urgent matter from both a health and
economic standpoint, as most non-communicable diseases cannot be cured, and
the future costs of management are prohibitive. Hence, a new focus on prevention
involving youth has been widely called for, including by the Cape Town Manifesto.2
This chapter reviews the challenge and opportunities of engaging youth in health
promotion related to the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD)
agenda. It explores the potential for using the World Health Organization (WHO)’s ‘Health-Promoting School’ model as part of health initiatives in Africa to promote
the adoption of a DOHaD related health agenda.
At a societal level, effective disease prevention must often rely on the application
of new science and technological innovation, plus legislation to dictate change.
However, at an individual level, alterations in health behaviours are required to
contain the epidemic of DOHaD-related non-communicable diseases, which can
only be achieved through learning and increased awareness driving attitudinal
change. The challenge facing DOHaD related health promotion is how we, as a
society, can disseminate valid information widely and frame compelling arguments
to engage and motivate individuals to improve their health and change their
behaviours. The nature of DOHaD also predicates that the most fertile place to
invest in prevention and health improvement strategies is the next generation.
The WHO estimates are that school-based health promotion has the potential to
reach one billion children worldwide. Health-Promoting School programmes are
a proven means of providing children with the knowledge and practical ways to
improve their health and have been shown to positively impact a range of specific
health issues and health behaviours. Importantly in the context of Africa, the
integrated educational approach used in Health-Promoting School has proved to
be applicable and beneficial even in low- and middle-income settings. Significantly
in the context of prevention, children who participate in good Health-Promoting
School programmes have been shown to develop improved resilience, self-esteem
and self-efficacy; traits recognised to engender a greater desire and increased
ability to exercise control over their lives, and characteristics all likely relevant to
advancing the DOHaD agenda.
Description
CITATION: Macnab, A. J. 2020. The World Health Organization's 'Health-promoting School' model: a potential avenue for developmental origins of health and disease education in Africa, in Macnab, A., Daar, A. & Pauw, C. 2020. Health in transition : translating developmental origins of health and disease science to improve future health in Africa. Stellenbosch: SUN PReSS, doi:10.18820/9781928357759/12.
The original publication is available at https://africansunmedia.store.it.si/za
The original publication is available at https://africansunmedia.store.it.si/za
Keywords
Public health -- Africa, Diseases -- Africa, Health education -- Africa
Citation
Macnab, A. J. 2020. The World Health Organization's 'Health-promoting School' model: a potential avenue for developmental origins of health and disease education in Africa, in Macnab, A., Daar, A. & Pauw, C. 2020. Health in transition : translating developmental origins of health and disease science to improve future health in Africa. Stellenbosch: SUN PReSS, doi:10.18820/9781928357759/12.