Afghanistan Afghan Public Health Institute Strategic Plan - ianphi

“Population health is an approach to health that aims to improve the health of the entire populationand to reduce health inequities among population groups. In order to reach these objectives it looksat and acts upon a broad range of factors and conditions (determinants) that have a strong influenceon health … Th(is) broader notion of health recognizes the range of social, economic, and physicaland environmental factors that contribute to health.” (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2006)Health promotion is “the process of enabling people to increase control over the determinants ofhealth and thereby improve their health” (WHO, Health Promotion Glossary, 1998).Population health and health promotion fit together well because a population health approachassists in identifying the range of factors that affect or create health and a health promotionapproach guides action on such factors.Determinants of health or social determinants of health have been documented by WHO since theearly 2000s (e.g. WHO, The Solid Facts, edited by Wilkinson & Marmot, 2003) and further studiedintensively through a Commission on Social Determinants of Health that submitted their final reportin 2008 (Closing the gap in a generation – Health equity through action on the social determinants ofhealth). There is now much evidence to demonstrate that many factors beyond personal behavioursand access to adequate healthcare, have powerful effects on health.The social determinants of health include:Income and Social StatusCultureGenderSocial Support NetworksEducationWorking ConditionsPhysical EnvironmentsBiology and GeneticsPersonal Health Practices and Coping SkillsHealthy Child Development; andHealth Services.Each determinant of health and its importance will be briefly discussed.Income and Social Status – “Life expectancy is shorter and most diseases are more common furtherdown the social ladder in each society” (WHO, The Solid Facts, 2003, p. 10). In Afghanistan, wheremany people live in poverty, this is having a significant impact on the rates of death and illness.Culture – Being from a minority cultural group or an ethnic group that has been identified as inferiorto others in a society, has a negative impact on health choices and outcomes. In many countries thisis particularly notable among indigenous groups and certain tribal groups.Ministry of Public Health Strategic Plan, 2011‐201516