Strategies for Community Health Promotion - Essay Example

?Running head: COMMUNITY HEALTH PROMOTION Assignment 4: Strategies for Community Health Promotion Insert Insert Grade Insert November 19, 2011 Strategies for Community Health Promotion Part A: outline for a program to meet the identified need The development of a health promotion program can take different structures as long as the intended objectives are realized. Health promotion is carried out to encourage the members of the community to adopt healthy living standards by taking measures and precautions to prevent the outbreak of a disease or prevent further transmission and spread of an infection that has been encountered in the community. It involves establishing the links between community development initiatives to the health of the members of the community and the quality of life they live. The identified need in this case is the improvement of awareness on Parkinson’s disease among the Aboriginals in Ontario province, Canada. The program takes the following approach. 1) Identification of the problem and possible diagnosis This is the initial step in health promotion and involves the identification of a particular group and the problem. The health issue has been identified in this case as the high risks to Parkinson’s disease among the Aboriginals of Ontario, Canada. Appropriate data to be used in the entire promotion initiative have also been obtained that describe the whole situation. 2) Informing the members of the public The members of the public are the target and the ultimate beneficiaries of the initiative. In communicating the intended program, the culture of the particular community has to be identified as this can influence their perception of the initiative and the appropriate approach that can be used. The community leaders are an important tool that is appropriate not only in reaching the individuals but also in persuading the key stakeholders and other members of the community to take part in the initiative. The community leaders and other stakeholders need to be used to facilitate and mobilize such health promotion programs. This method is to be adopted here. The scheduled program may also be advertised in the local print media. 3) Financial planning for the program The program will need funds and there is a need to give an estimate of the possible expenses to be incurred in the implementation process. The funding agencies and other donors will require a satisfactory budget that has a promising outcome. 4) Creating a health promotion team Different responsibilities will be available to ensure full accomplishment of the program’s mission. The members of the team are to be recruited from among the community members and other professionals. The team should include individuals who will have a role in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the program. It has to be noted that the program aims at empowering the members of the public to have control over their health through independent creative and innovative ideas. The program enables the members of the public to make informed decisions concerning their health (Fertman and Allensworth, 2010, p.6). Involving the public in the health promotion program also ensures more public ownership of the program, which is an asset towards the success of the program. 5) Identification of activities in the program and the target groups This involves brainstorming the appropriate interventions that will be used promote awareness of the Parkinson’s disease and reduce the risks of its outbreak or spread among the Aboriginals. The approaches may be different or different population groups and thus it is necessary to the program activities that may be applied for a given identified group. 6) Scheduling The whole program has to be accomplished within a given period. The members of the health promotion team have roles that each will play in the promotion program. The identified activities are scheduled in respect to their relevance and the individuals to carry out the activities. 7) The activities in the program The activities to be included in the program have been identified according to the needs that have been encountered. a) Health risks assessment and appraisal This involves an inquiry into the lifestyle of an individual, the personal medical history, and the family medical history that is aimed at identifying the individual’s risk to getting the infection. The assessment and appraisal will help in developing ways of reducing the identified risks. Medical examination procedures like the blood pressure and other laboratory tests, physical examination of the individuals, and a look at the general physical fitness of the individual will be considered in certain instances. b) Interactive group education The lager part of the program will involve group education in several social, environmental, and economic issues relating to the disease. The conditions and resources necessary for proper health are ‘peace, shelter, education, food, income, a table eco-system, sustainable resources, social justice, and equity. Improvement in health requires a secure foundation in these basic prerequisites’ (World Health Organization (WHO), 2009, p.2). The members of the public will be educated on the risks factors associated with the disease, the symptoms of the infection, its mode of transmission and spread, and how the disease can be managed. Firstly, there will be education on proper environmental management practices. There has been a need to educate the members of the public on proper environmental management to avoid exposure to toxic substances that are predisposing factors for the identified disease. The exposure to various chemicals while working in the fields is a risk factor that should be minimized in order to chances of contracting the infection. Besides, there are legal provisions for manufacturing industries to observe these environmental management procedures and regulate the amount toxic substances that their operations emit into the environment. The working conditions for the workers should be free of exposure to such substances. The education will enlighten the members of the community who may be employees of some industrial organization on their rights to proper work environment as well as the procedures they can follow if these rights are violated. Secondly, there will be education on the appropriate lifestyle that can be adopted to avert the occurrence of the disease among the individuals. Individuals will be taught on the benefits of physical exercise and a detailed demonstration of the procedures that can be applied by individuals of different ages and sex. Nutrition is also another important area to be addressed. The individuals will be educated on proper eating habits. Management of stress and management of the disease will be discussed. The low level of poverty among the Aboriginals was identified as another factor contributing to the high rates of the disease cases in the community. This can be improved through economic empowerment of the members of the community. The education session will involve enlightening the members of the community on the possible income generating activities that they can engage in order to improve on there living standards. The members of the community will be encouraged on the benefits of utilizing available services like the small microfinance enterprises and establishment of own businesses. They will also be educated on the development resources available from the government as well as other agencies and how these resources can be accessed. Similarly, the health promotion program advocates for improved social and health facilities and services to the Aboriginals in the province. It advocates for equitable access to these services by the marginalized community. Thus, there will also be education on the public health facilities and services and the benefits of accessing and utilizing these services that are available to the members of the public. The members will be advised on the benefits of going for regular medical examination as a way of mitigating for possible future infection. c) Individual counseling The diversity in individuals necessitates for some sessions of individual education and counseling. Some individuals may find it difficult to share their feelings or experience in the public while they are willing to do so with a professional. Just like the other discussion sessions, the individual session will entail advice on physical fitness, healthy eating habits, and going for regular medical check up. One will be advised not to wait up to the late stages of an infection before seeking medical intervention. d) Distribution of self-help materials The individual or group discussions may be insufficient owing to the diversity in the individual abilities. The program will involve distribution of self-help materials on the concepts being discussed so that the individual can make personal reference whenever stuck in a concept. e) Video presentations on the disease identified In order to provide more insight on the nature of the disease, the mode of transmission as well as how it can be managed, there will be video presentations highlighting on these procedures. The presentations will be provided at the end of each session of group education as relates to the topic discussed in the session. f) Support group sessions The support group sessions will enable the members of the public with a similar identified problem to share their feelings and provide emotional support to each other. The groups will developed after the health risks appraisal and identification of individuals with similar health conditions. 8) Monitoring and Assessment of the program This involves an examination of whether the program is running as it was scheduled. The assessment will enable the promotion team to identify the possible failures as well as how they can be fixed before a point of no return. The adjustments would also need consultation with the funding agencies since some alterations may be experienced due to variations in the costs of products or services that had been included in the budget. 9) Evaluation of the program The program has objectives and goals that should be achieved after a specified period. The evaluation process is aimed at examining the extent to which the intended objectives and goals of the health promotion program have been achieved. The funding agencies and sponsors are often interesting in the success of their funded programs and an explanation of any kinds of failures that have been recorded. Part B: proposal for obtaining funding for the program 1) Program background The health promotion program follows a health related issue that has been identified among the Aboriginals in Ontario province. It has been noted that there are several cases of the Parkinson’s disease recorded among the members of this community. A detailed examination into the case reveals a number of factors that greatly contributes to this high rate of infection of the disease. Firstly, the community has high level of unemployment and high poverty levels. The individuals who are in employment are also serving at the low-level jobs that are not only low paying but also expose them to other health hazards. The individuals who work in the fields have greater risks of contacting the disease when they use chemicals or other toxic substances in their tasks. The low financial status makes the management of this infection difficult among the individuals. Secondly, the Aboriginals are less informed on the health facilities and services available for use by the members of the public. This can partly be attributed to the high levels of illiteracy among the Aboriginals. It can also be caused by the high level of discrimination exercised by the non-Aboriginals against the Aboriginals in the region. Thus, even if the members of the community realize some different health conditions that would call for an intervention, they may not be informed on the appropriate measures that can be taken. Similarly, the social and health facilities available to the members of the Aboriginal community are not adequate to provide the necessary health services. There is inequitable access to, and consumption of, the health services by the Aboriginals. 2) Objectives of the program In order to realize the above long terms goals, the program has a number of objectives. One of the objectives is to increase awareness in the risk factors for the Parkinson’s disease. This enables the members to identify and minimize these factors to reduce the chances of infection. The other objective is to educate the members of the public on how to manage the infection in case it is encountered. The program is also intended to improve multi-sector collaboration on health-related issues, since the heath issues encompass different individuals and groups in the community. The other objective is to enlighten the members on how to stay informed of the health facilities and services available in the community. The program is also intended to advocate for the equitable access to, and use of, the health facilities and services by the Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals in the region. Similarly, it has the objective of enlightening the members of the public on possible economic activities. 3) Goals of the program In the usual sense, the health promotion initiatives are aimed at improving the abilities of individuals to exercise control over their health in order to improve health conditions (WHO, 2009, p.2). Good health involves physical, social, mental, and emotional well being of an individual. An individual will have a good health if he or she is able to realize his or her life expectations, satisfy the human needs, and adapt to the changing environments he or she may inhabit at a given occasion. Thus, the main goal of the program is to enable the individuals to have a proper control over their health through enlightening and empowering them. The program aims at making the Aboriginals communities free from these Parkinson’s disease in two years to come. The initiative is also aimed at ensuring quality health facilities and services in the community. The access to these facilities and services will also be improved. The other goal of the program is to promote economic development in the community. It is often better to prevent the occurrence of a disease than to manage the disease after its outbreak. The improved health of the individuals reduces medical costs that can be channeled to other uses of economic importance in the community. Besides, healthy individuals are more productive economically and are likely to contribute significantly towards the developments in the community. They can engage themselves in well paying roles and develop inventive and innovative ideas suitable for economic growth. 4) Target population The target population for the program is the Aboriginals in the Ontario province, Canada. The program will benefit the community through enhancing a better understanding of Parkinson’s disease and other related infections. It will live the community empowered economically, politically, and socially, which is essential for good health. The population will also be subdivided into different subcategories with similar needs based on their ages. There will be the elderly category, the adults group, and the youths. However, this subdivision will only be use for the more individualized programs. Most of the education programs will be carried inclusively. 5) The approach to be used in the program The program will apply an integrated approach encompassing both behavioral change initiatives and the other socio-environmental measures. A health promotion program like this focuses on promotion of policy, regulatory and environmental changes fro the good of the community (Fertman and Allensworth, 2010, p.6). The program targets different groups of individuals among this community who are in different settings and therefore are exposed to different risk factors. The use of a combination of behavior change approach and socio-environmental approach will enable the realization of the objectives of the program since all these factors are related to the infection. The integrated approach will then be effective. Besides, the health promotion strategies should not simply focus on a particular health problem (WHO, 2009, p.2). In as much as the initiative is aimed at improving awareness and management of the Parkinson’s disease among the Aboriginals, the health promotion strategies should focus on mitigation for all the other communicable and endemic infections that may be encountered in the community. The involvement of the members of the public and key community stakeholders in the health promotion program stem from the fundamental principles defining good health. It has been stated that health entails personal resources and the social and physical wellness of the individual. An individual’s community members can contribute significantly towards the individual’s health. In this respect, health promotional issues should not be left only to the health sector (WHO, 2009, p.2). 6) The health promotion team The health promotion team will have members drawn from the community and the health sector as well. There is the program/project manager who leads the team. The individual has the overall responsibility of ensuring that the program is implemented as per the plan. He ensures that the program is executed within the time limit given and the available resources. The program coordinator will be responsible for scheduling of the different activities and events prior to, and in the, implementation of the program. He has the responsibility of arranging for team meetings and the other activities in the program. The other members are the community leaders who will be used to mobilize the members of the public to ensure the success of the program. The individuals will get involved more in the program if the locals are also included. The financial manager ensures management of all the resources to be used in the program. Together with the program coordinator, the financial manager plans for the purchase of required materials, advertisement of the program, printing of the learning materials, and the payment of the facilitators and the health professionals. The program will also rely a lot on other external professionals who will be part-time members of the team. These individuals are to be consulted and invited when there is need for their intervention in the implementation of the program. 7) Program monitoring and evaluation strategies There will be continuous monitoring of the progress of the program to check any discrepancies that may emerge. Fixing the identified problem in the course of the program will be effective in ensuring its success. Evaluation is necessary for accountability purposes (Round, R, Marshall, B & Horton, K 2005p.2). Thus, another of the evaluation strategies to be applied is to provide an account for the resources in the program to the funding agency. The program manager and the financial manager have to ensure that the resources are used as scheduled. Evaluation is necessary to determine if the intended objectives of the programs are achieved (Round, R, Marshall, B & Horton, K 2005, p.2). Some of the goals of the programs may be realized after a period of two or more years. The program is intended to improve awareness on Parkinson’s disease among the Aboriginals. Thus, the examination of the effectiveness of the program will involve a revisit to the community after two years to collect data on the cases of the disease still observed. Data will also be collected on a sample of the individuals in the community concerning their awareness of the infection, their economic levels, their attitudes and efforts towards education and their general wellbeing. 8) A budget for the program The program will involve a number of activities and resources that justifies the need for the government funds and other donations. There is a need to get the public informed on the program. This will be achieved through advertisement in the local print media and through community mobilization by the key stakeholders in the community. The community leaders will cooperate in the program execution if their efforts are appraised through a stipend. Health risks assessment is the initial important activity in the program and is carried out by health professionals. The materials to be used in the education processes as well as the self-help materials have to be printed. In the implementation of the program, an array of facilitators will be involved including both professionals and non-professionals. These individuals will require remunerations and allowances while on duty. Similarly, there are likely to be changes and other emerging issues in the course of the program. Thus, an allowance should be provided to cater for the emergencies and alterations in programming. The overall budget is presented in the following table. The condensed budget for the program Resource/Activity Estimated costs (US$) Health risks assessments 10,000 Community mobilization by the leaders 2,000 Advertisement in the local newspaper 5,000 Printing the self-help and other materials 8,000 Allowances to the program facilitators (lunch, traveling, etc) 10,000 Remunerations for program facilitators 25,000 Other expenses 10,000 TOTAL 60,000 References Fertman, C. and Allensworth, D. (2010). Health Promotion Programs: From Theory to Practice. San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons. Round, R., Marshall, B. & Horton, K. (2005). Planning for effective health promotion evaluation. Victorian Government Department of Human Services, Melbourne. Retrieved from http://www.health.vic.gov.au/healthpromotion/downloads/planning_may05.pdf . World Health Organization. (2009). Milestones in Health Promotion Statements from Global Conferences. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/Milestones_Health_Promotion_05022010.pdf. Read More