Cancer Society National Office

“Health Promotion is a combination of educational, organisational, economic and political actions designed with consumer participation to enable individuals, groups and whole communities to increase control over, and to improve their health through knowledge, attitudinal, behavioural, social and environmental changes [1].

The Cancer Society is informed by The Treaty of Waitangi (1840), The Ottawa Charter (World Health Organisation,1986), and The Jakarta Declaration (World Health Organisation,1997) frameworks which guide Health Promotion activity.

Health Promotion activity has a focus on reducing health inequalities and advocating for:

Healthy Public Policy, Environments that Support Health, Strengthening Community Action, Development of Personal Skills and Reorientation of Health Services.

National Health Promotion Advisors work to ensure Government and Local Body policies and practices result in environments that support health for all New Zealanders. Divisional Health Promotion Staff work in an appropriate manner with their communities to ensure environments are supportive, community action is strengthened and individuals develop the skills they need to maintain their own and their family/whanau’s health.

Health is considered to be a positive resource for everyday life that emphasises social, spiritual and personal resources as well as physical capabilities.

Health promotion

Works with people
Involves the local community
Addresses underlying as well as immediate causes of ill health
Balances concern with the individual and the environment
Emphasises the positive dimensions of health
Involves all sectors of society

[1] Howat, P, Maycock, B, Cross, D, Collins, J, Jackson, L, Burns, S, & James, R., (2003). Towards a more unified definition of Health Promotion. Health Promotion Journal of Australia. Vol 14, No 2, pp82-85.