HEALTH PROMOTION PACKAGES - Sundhedsstyrelsen

1.2 PurposeThe health promotion packages comprise an evidence-informed tool to assist municipaldecision-makers and health planners in setting priorities, planning and organizinglocal health promotion and disease prevention initiatives.The municipalities are already taking advantage of their proximity to their citizensand the opportunities to work across administrative sectors and to integrate healthinto all municipal policies. We hope that the packages will contribute further tothese efforts, which also promote the goal of greater equity in health.The aim is to strengthen public health through municipal-wide disease preventionand health promotion action of high quality.1.3 ContentHealth promotion packages are prepared for significant risk factor areas withinwhich the municipalities are already active and that are expected to require considerablefocus in the coming years because of new evidence and developing societalnorms.Health promotion packages focusing on tobacco, alcohol, physical activity, mentalhealth, sexual health, sun protection, indoor climate in schools, hygiene, healthyfood and meals have been published, and packages on obesity and preventing drugabuse are underway.The individual packages follow a generic template, which includes a fact sectionwith the prevalence and risk factor burden, an overview of evidence of effective interventions,relevant legislation and a description of municipal experiences in thearea.The fact section is followed by evidence-informed recommendations for municipalhealth promotion measures, subdivided into sections on structural interventions,health promotion services, information and education and early detection.The recommended actions are listed as either basic (B) or developmental (D), designedto make it easier for the municipalities to start implementing the packages.Specific action-oriented tools are linked to each recommendation, such as referencesto websites offering guidelines and specific inspiration for action.Each health promotion package ends with a section describing implementation andfollow-up activities. This section describes the competencies and partnerships considerednecessary to successfully implement the recommended interventions. Examplesof data sources and indicators that can be used to monitor the implementationof the health promotion packages are provided. The municipalities are encouragedto evaluate the implemented measures to generate much-needed new evidencein the area.References to reading to inspire action, etc. are given along the way in the translatedrecommendation excerpts. Please note that far from all referenced material isavailable in English. We have included English translations to show that muchHealth promotion packages in Denmark – introduction and recommendations 5