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Archive - Archive 2004 - July 2013

Partners discuss draft health promotion policy |05 May 2005

Partners discuss draft health promotion policy

Mr Loustau-Lalanne officially launching the working session on Wednesday Mr Loustau-Lalanne officially launching the working session on Wednesday

About 200 decision makers from public and private sector organisations gathered at the National Institute of Education, reviewed the draft and recommended a number of changes to improve it.

It was the principal secretary for Health Maurice Loustau-Lalanne (PS) who officially launched the working session which saw clerics, doctors, nurses, educators, business operators and other players make their contributions to the document.

The PS said the policy is aimed at creating and sustaining an enabling environment for addressing the broad determinants of health.

He said the draft was the result of the combined efforts of the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and a consultant, Professor Davison Munodawafa who had been commissioned by WHO.

"For a few decades now, health promotion has been considered a critical component of health as a whole. There is growing evidence to suggest that health promotion interventions are effective in bringing about positive changes in individual behaviour," the PS said.
He said Seychellois must inculcate the principle that both the public and private sectors have a social responsibility in health, a principle he said certain organisations have already understood.

"I would appeal to the greater majority to join hands with the Ministry of Health and Social Services," he said.

He noted that in Seychelles, the burden of disease includes cardiovascular diseases, stroke, cancer, diabetes, respiratory diseases as well as various social issues affecting young people, which the department of Health is addressing with a view to reducing the number of hospital admissions, disability and premature death.

The development of this policy is only one other endeavour to help improve the health of the Seychellois," he said, saying that the policy should guide the delivery of health services and strengthen health promotion initiatives in the Seychelles over the next five to 10 years.

The WHO liaison officer, Dr Rui Gama Vaz, echoed the PS's sentiments saying that although in Seychelles health promotion has been allocated substantial resources, there is evidence that the trend of certain diseases and conditions such as HIV/Aids, obesity and risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases are on the increase.

He singled out alcohol abuse and tobacco use as rising problems among the youth.
Dr Gama Vaz said that the policy will help in the formulation of the strategic and operational plans related to health promotion.

Before the stakeholders discussed the draft policy, Prof. Munodawafa presented it to them after Nichole Dina of the health promotion unit briefed them on how the document had been arrived at.


 

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