This document outlines the objectives and content of a module on ethical issues in health promotion. It begins by defining health promotion as enabling people to increase control over their health through social and personal resources as well as physical capacities. The module will discuss key ethical principles of health promotion such as informed consent, responsibility, altruism, reciprocity and justice. It will also analyze how ethical issues arise in health promotion activities and how to manage them using ethical frameworks. The document provides context on targets and examples of health promotion interventions.

1. Ethical issues in health promotion
EMPHNET
Ghaiath M. A. Hussein
MBBS, MHSc. (Bioethics), PhD Researcher
Email: ghaiathme@gmail.com
[Insert Venue]
[Insert Dates]
2013

2. Module’s objectives
• Define the concepts and scope of health
promotion
• List the ethical principles that arise from
health promotion activities
• Discuss the ethical issues that arise from
health promotion, and
• Analyse and manage the ethical issues
utilizing the ethical frameworks

3. Module’s Outline
• Definition and scope of health promotion
• What are the ethical principles that are
applicable to health promotion?
• How to approach ethical issues in health
promotion?

4. Definition and scope of
health promotion
• “the process of enabling people to increase
control over, and to improve, their health.
• Health is a positive concept emphasizing social
and personal resources, as well as physical
capacities.”
• Prerequisites for health
– peace, shelter, education, food, income, a stable
ecosystem, sustainable resources, social justice
and equity.
Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, 1986

5. Definition and scope of health
promotion
Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, 1986
Advocate
• Political, economic, social,
cultural, environmental,
behavioural and biological
factors
Enable
• reducing differences in
current health status and
ensuring equal
opportunities and
resources to enable all
people to achieve their
fullest health potential
Mediate
•health promotion demands
coordinated action
•should be adapted to the
local needs and possibilities
of individual countries and
regions to take into account
differing social, cultural and
economic systems.

6. Targets of health promotion
Credit: Tasmanian Government Department of Health and Human
Services. http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/healthpromotion/wihpw

7. Examples of health promotion
interventions
•

8. Ethical Issues in health
Promotion
• Informed choices and respect for autonomy
• Responsibility
• Altruism
• Reciprocity
• Justice
What are your thoughts?

9. References and readings
• Mittelmark MB: Setting an ethical agenda for health promotion. Health
promotion international 2008, 23: 78-85.
• Ten Have M, Van der Heide A, Mackenbach JP, de Beaufort. An ethical
framework for the prevention of overweight and obesity: a tool for
thinking through a programme’s ethical aspects. The European Journal of
Public Health 2013, 23: 299-305.
• Labonte, R. 1994, Health Promotion and Empowerment: Reflections on
Professional Practice, Health Education & Behavior, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 253-
268
• Tasmanian Government Department of Health and Human Services.
http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/healthpromotion/wihpw
• http://www.patient.co.uk/directory/health-promotion-lifestyle