S-1995-04-1995_OVE

L’ASSOCIATION MEDICALE MONOIALE, INC ASOCIACION MEDICA MUNDIAL” INC
Telephone: 50 40 75 75
Fax: 50405937
THE WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, INC.
B. P. 63 • 01212 FERNEY-VOLTAIRE eedn. France
28. avenue dH AlpH -01210 FERNEY.VOLTAIRE. France
Cable Address:
WOMEDAS. Ferney·Vottaire
September 1995 10.75
Originat: English
WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION STATEMENT
DB
HEALTH PROMOTION
Adopted by the 47th Generat Assembly
Bali, Indonesia, September 1995
1. Medicat practitioners and their professional associations have an ethicat dUty
and professional responsibility to act in the best.interests of their patients at atl times
and to integrate this responsibility with a broader concern for and involvement In
and professional responSibilityto’acf in the bestlnterests of their patients at atl times
and to integrate this responsibility with a broader concern for and involvement In
promoting and assuring the health of the public.
2. The traditional roles of publlc health agencies at all levels of government, and
of independent physicians’ associations involved in the field of public health, include
a variety of programs and activities targeted to the identified needs of the population
and the capacity to carry out those functions effectively. The key functions of pUblic
health agencies are assessing community health needs and marshalling the
resources for responding to them, developing health policy in response to specific
community and national health needs, and assuring that conditions contributing to
good health, including high-quality medical services, safe water supplies, good
nutrition. unpolluted atmospheres and environments that offer opportunities for
exercizeand recreation are available to the individuals.
3. The specific programs and activities carried out in each jurisdiction will depend
on the problems and needs identified, the organization of the health care delivery
system, and the resources available to address the identified needs. Types of
specific activities carried out under these broad public health functions include:
.- . . .
a) monitoring and protecting the heatth of communities against communicable
diseases and exposure to toxic environmental pollutants, occupational
hazards. harmful products, and poor quality health services. This function
illch.;des the need to set priorities, establish essential programs, obtain
requisite resources and assure the availability of necessary public health
laboratory services;
b) identifying outbreaks of infectious disease and patterns of chronic disease
and injury and establishing appropriate control or prevention programs;
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c) working with health care providers to inform and educate the general pUblic
about their roles in preventing and controlling disease, adopting healthful
lifestyles, and using medical services appropriately;
d) providing outreach, screening, and other preventive services and curative
care to persons not served by private sector providers;
e) developing and testing new prevention and public health control interventions;
~d . .
1) working with the responsible public authorities to create environments in
which healthy behavioral choices are the easy choices. .
4. Public health agencies benefit greatly from close cooperation with and support
by medical practitioners and their professional associations. The health of a
community or a nation is measured by the health of all persons in that community or
nation, and the preventable health or medical problems that affect an individual
person have an impact on the health of the community and its .resources. The
effectiveness of many programs to enhance the health of the pUblic, therefore. is
dependent on the active involvement of medical practitioners and their·professional e
associations in concert with public health agencies.
5. An example of the type of activity that is effectively conducted collaboratively
between the private medical sector and the public health sector is public information
and education programs to promote healthful lifestyles and reduce preventable risks
to health, including those from: use of tobacco. alcohol and other drugs; sexual
·activities that increase the risk . of HIV transmission and sexually transmitted
diseases; poor diet and physical inactivity; and inadequate childhood immunization
levels. In many countries, health education is one way to reduce infant morbidity and .
mortality through promoting breast feeding and informing parents about the risks
fmlll.~QntalXJlr:t.ptad..wm&,~Q.t1…i.IJ:;:tQ.eJJlJatpvn’l!Jiiine nQ,1 ~u I ~U”‘C:J IIIlClIIL II lUI UIUIlY eUlU .
mortality through promoting breast feeding and informing parents aboutthe risks
from contaminated water and inadequate nutrition.
6. .Other types of activities, such as disease surveillance, investigation, and
control are primarily the formal responsibility of public health agencies. These pUblic
health activities cannot be conducted effectively, however. without the active
cooperation and support of medical practitioners at the community level who are
cognizant of personal and community illness patterns and who notify health
authorities promptly of problems that might require further investigation and action. . . _
Such problems might include identifying poputatlons at high risk for particular ..
diseases, such as tuberculosis; reporting cases of communicable diseases such as
measles. whooping cough, or infectious causes of diarrhea; and reporting suspected
cases of food poisoning or exposure to lead or other toxic chemicals and substances
in the community or work place. Reinforcement for reporting and cooperation• .
however. occurs only if there is an appropriate and adequate public health response
to the information provided. .
7. Regardless of the effectiveness of existing public health programs in a
[urlsdlctlon. can-important -responsibility-of professional medical associations is the
awareness of community and national health needs that are not being met and
public advocacy for activities, programs, and resources to meet those needs. These
efforts might be in areas of public education for health promotion and disease
prevention; monitoring and controlling environmental hazards; identifying and .
pUblicizing adverse health effects from social problems. such as interpersonal .
violence or social practices that affect the health of people; or identifying and
advocating for services such as improvements in emergency treatment
preparedness.
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8. In areas or jurisdictions in which basic public health services are not being
provided adequately, medical associations must work collaboratively with other
health agencies and groups to establish priorities for advocacy and action. For
example, in a country or area with limited resources in which potable water and
sewage facilities are not available to most residents, these issues should be given
priority over the expending of resources to obtain a new medical technology that
would provide service to only a few people in the population.
9. Some health-related issues are extremely complex and involve multiple levels
of response. For example, families of children diagnosed with high blood lead levels
often need assistance in securing appropriate medical services, determining the
source of contamination, and receiving appropriate abatement services to eliminate
the danger. Other health related issues create concern because of the economic
effects of policies that promote the health of the public, For example, the potential
economic impact of tobacco control policies on an area that derives significant
revenue from growing or processing tobacco creates strong opposition to the public
health advocacy program. However, economic policy should not deter a strong
public health advocacy program against the use of tobacco products. The promotion
of tobacco products should be rigorously opposed, and every effort should be made
to reduce tobacco consumption in developing countries.
10. The World Medical Association adopts this Statement for the purpose of
prOViding guidance for National Medical Associations as they consider the
appropriate role in their jurisdiction for medical practitioners and professional
organizations to be involved in public health responsibilities and advocacy for health
promotion.
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