Upcoming: Presenting International Evidence in Support of Better Systems for Ageing Well

I am looking forward to rejoining my friends and making new friends in Ottawa for the 40th Anniversary of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, Equity and Rights. In 1986, Canada hosted an international conference on “health promotion” in Ottawa at the invitation of the World Health Organization’s Director-General. The result was a written Charter (known now as the Ottawa Charter), that outlined key reforms needed to address better health promotion:

• Build health public policies, directing policy makers to “accept their responsibilities for health” and advance health promotion through legislation, fiscal measures, taxation and organizations;

• Create supportive environments, considering the interrelation between people, their environment, and their communities;

• Strengthen community action, focusing on empowering communities through new resources and access to information;

• Develop personal skills, highlighting the improvement of health literacy and education; and

• Reorient health services, advocating that health systems expand beyond clinical services to encompass social and cultural needs.

This year, the opening keynote address will be by Evelyn de Leeuw, from the School of Public Health, University of Montreal.

Over the course of two days, there will be five separate panels of speakers on building healthy public policy, creating supportive environments, strengthening community action, personal and social development, and breaking silos in health mandates. There is planned time for discussion on the last afternoon. Professor Vanessa Gruben, the director of University of Ottawa’s Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics will provide closing remarks.

My presentation on October 21 will focus on efforts of researchers and health and social care teams in Northern Ireland to establish programs for “ageing well home support visitors” that can provide personalized discussion and counseling for older people and their families. The NI program is built on evidence from Denmark showing positive outcomes in both health and self-care actions in that country, connected to “preventative” home-visits.

Keep an eye on this Blog for highlights from this conference!