Lecture delivered to DipHE nursing students about the role of health promotion in Gibraltar and the Health Promotion Officer.

1. HEALTH PROMOTION IN
GIBRALTAR
by Jason Easter
Health Promotion Officer

2. Introduction
• What are the aims of today’s talk?
• 1. Health promotion a three part model.
• 2. My role in Gibraltar as health
promotion officer.

3. Opening Statement
Definition of Health by the WHO:

4. Definition of Health Promotion
“Health Promotion is the process of enabling
people to increase control over, and to
improve, their health”.

5. “Health Promotion has been
gradually building as a
profession in the health industry
and during the 1980s this
particular health field became a
much respected and needed
branch. Today, Health
Promotion is an established
profession”

6. What Are the Health
Promotion Targets?
• involves the population as a whole in the context
of their everyday life, rather than focusing on
people at risk for specific diseases
• is directed towards action on the determinants or
causes of health
• combines diverse by complementary methods of
approaches
• aims particularly at effective and complete public
participation

7. A Three Part Model
• 1. PROTECTION
• 2. PREVENTION
• 3. EDUCATION
Health Promotion

9. What Is Health Protection?
• This is the way that government through legal or
fiscal control produce laws which serve to protect
the general public from harm.
Drink driving; Sale of tobacco or alcohol to
minors; Wearing seat belts; Health and safety
at work.
• Voluntary organisations also play an important
role in developing guidelines and policies.
No smoking policy in the workplace.

10. What Is Health Prevention?
• Discourage of harmful practice (stop the
onset of First Manifestation)
• Screening (Pick up early detection)
• Management of Illness (avoid
complications after onset of disease)
• Post Illness Care (stop recurrence)

11. What Is Health Education?
A communication exercise aimed at
enhancing positive health and preventing or
diminishing ill-health in individuals or
groups. This is achieved by influencing
BELIEFS, ATTITUDES and
BEHAVIOUR.

12. Approaches to Health
Education
• 1. TRADITIONAL - negative focus.
(Addresses prevention rather than positive health.)
• 2. Transitional
(Shocking people into change)
• 3. MODERN - interactive.
(Educator seeks to listen to opinions. Promotes
positive health and prevents ill health.)

13. 1. Prevention. Examples - Immunisation and cervical
screening
2. Preventive health education. Educational efforts to
influence lifestyle in the interests of preventing ill-
health, as well as efforts to encourage the uptake of
preventive services.
3. Preventive health protection. Example -
Fluoridation of water supplies to prevent dental caries.

14. 4. Health education for preventative health protection.
Example legislation - seat belts in vehicles.
5. Positive health education. Health education aimed at
influencing behaviour (Example encouraging exercise as a
healthier lifestyle)
6. Positive health protection. Implementation of a workplace
smoking policy
7. Health education aimed at positive health protection.
Raising awareness of, health protection matters.

15. My Role in Gibraltar
• To enhance knowledge of health matters, foster
positive attitudes to health and promote healthy
behaviour.
• To administer the multi-agency health promotion
group
• Acquire, list and manage information resources
(e.G. Leaflets, posters and health packs.)
• Involvement with the department of education

16. My Role in Gibraltar
• Produce a calendar of health events.
• Arranging forthcoming awareness
campaigns.
• To set health targets (often through
research.).

17. My Role in Gibraltar
• Promoting health opportunistically.
• Managing health education projects.
• Training (to contribute where invited to the
training of other public sector departments.).
• Assist the director of public health in
devising annual strategic plans and health
promotion matters.

18. The Health Promotion Group

19. What Is the Health Promotion
Group?
• This is a multi-agency group of professionals
interested in improving the public health.
Representatives include:
Senior Education Advisor
Director of Public Health
Health Promotion Officer
Senior Dietician
General Practitioner
Chief Environmental Officer
Sports Development Officer
Crime Prevention Officer
Sister in Nursing

20. Publications

24. Campaigns

25. Sun Awareness

26. Sun Awareness
Aims of the Campaign
• Make people aware of the effects of UV
radiation which can be detrimental to health
• Provide information and guidelines for UV
protection and safe sun practice (great
emphasis on children)
• Importance of sunscreens and other products
e.G. Wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses

28. Child Safety

29. • The importance of awareness that accidents
to children can happen, and do happen, and
devise strategies for prevention.
• Provide parents, carers and children with
information and practical ‘know how’ on
safety techniques e.G. CPR.
• Continuing programme of support and
resources.
Child Safety
Aims of the campaign

30. BUG BUSTING

32. About Bug Busting
• Bug busting is a detection and eradication method that
is by far the best way to deal with the problem.
• Bug busting works by combining the specially
designed nit combs with your usual shampoo and
conditioner

33. How Does it work?
• The Bug Busting method - Best way of determining whether
someone has lice.
• Bug Busting is much more than a detection method. Bug
Busting four times spaced over two weeks, will actually
break the life cycle of the lice, stopping them from
spreading and reproducing.
• We recommended through our campaign not to use
lotions/preparations.
WHY?
• Head Lice are becoming immune
• Lotions potentially harm the scalp.

35. The focus of No Smoking Day is very
simple - it's all about helping people who
want to stop smoking.
With two out of every three smokers
wanting to quit No Smoking Day offers a
real opportunity for smokers to give up
in the company of thousands of others
joining in on the Day.

36. THE CAMPAIGN
The campaign is UK-wide and is held in March of
every year.This campaign has been running for
19 years.
No Smoking Day aims to help smokers stop
smoking by raising awareness, increasing
motivation, and by encouraging smokers to stop
on a specific date, helped by Local events and
activities in a supportive environment.

37. WHAT’S THE POINT?
• It encourage and assist smokers who want to
quit
• It makes as many people as possible aware of
the campaign
• It involves as many individuals and
organisations as possible in activities relating
to smoking cessation
• And education helps to achieve national and
local health targets.

38. Other Campaigns
• Infomercials (TV health messages, e.g., Smoking
in pregnancy.).
• Personal safety. i.e. Road safety, drink driving and
firework safety.
• Diabetes, FLU & asthma awareness days.
• Gibraltar health day 2002.
• World AIDS day.

39. Present & The Future
• Health Factsheet Pack for Primary Schools
and University Students
• Health Promoting schools project
• Healthy School Awards
• Healthier School Tuck-shops
• The GOOD Health Award
• Campaigns such as Sexual Health etc.

40. • Smoking in Gibraltar
• Obesity in childhood
• Sun awareness
Future Major Health Targets

41. • Healthy Eating projects, such as ‘5 a day’
• Alcohol in the young population
Future Minor Health Targets

42. Thank You For Your Time