Why design and implement a Comprehensive Strategy for Healthy Living?
- According to the World Health Organization, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally.
- The United Nations 2030 Agenda recognises NCDs as a major challenge for sustainable development.
- Many of the risk factors of NCDs are avoidable.
- Health promotion and prevention strategies can prevent and reverse these conditions.
- Promoting healthy lifestyles leads to health benefits, and at a much lower cost than medical treatment for any of the associated risk factors and diseases.
- Innovative health promotion strategies, focused on holistic and integrated approaches, can contribute to a healthier, sustainable, and fairer world.
Principles and key elements
In recent years, the Andalucía region has seen multiple actions and programmes being developed to address healthy diets and physical activity, both with healthcare-focused and more intersectional approaches.
In 2019, the Regional Ministry of Health and Families took a firm step in its commitment to improve the welfare of the population and submitted the elaboration of a new Comprehensive Strategy for Healthy Living, in line with the goals of the 4th Andalusian Health Plan to the Government Council of Andalusia .
The values of this Strategy build upon a positive and comprehensive view of health throughout the life-course. It focuses on promoting healthy lifestyles and behaviours, preferably related to healthy diet, physical activity, healthy sleep, emotional wellbeing, responsible sexual activity and the positive use of information and communication technologies (ICTs): six elements that generate health throughout the life-course.
The approach’s key principles to promote healthy lifestyles are described in the above figure.
Process of participation and elaboration
The preparation and drafting of the content of the Comprehensive Strategy for Healthy Living has been underway since 2019. Its development was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was from May 2021 that the participatory methodology was deployed, involving more than 300 individuals, within the framework of a governance structure defined under the criteria of co-creation and transparency.
The participatory process, led by the Andalusian Regional Ministry of Health and Families with the support of the Andalusian School of Public Health, sought to achieve the highest possible representativeness. A virtual methodology was designed, using qualitative data-collection techniques (online open-ended questionnaires and virtual discussion and consensus sessions) built on an intersectoral approach and with a focus on the local and provincial level.
Several working groups that included professionals from the different fields of public administrations, citizens, interest groups, and economic and social stakeholders actively participated in various online sessions conducted at the provincial level. These groups prepared a strategic diagnosis, identified problems, needs and challenges, and proposed actions for improvement.
Likewise, the collaboration between professional associations and scientific societies is planned and envisaged for an evidence-based validation of the Strategy, to be taking place in this year. At present, the results of the participatory process are being included in the draft strategy, which will subsequently be submitted for consultation with economic and social stakeholders and for public information.
Strategic lines, objectives, and programmes
The Comprehensive Strategy for Healthy Living has already defined its strategic lines, clustering ten strategic objectives in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The strategic lines are:
- Fostering healthy lifestyles through policy and environmental interventions and promoting community assets for health.
- Fostering corporate social responsibility for health by the business sector.
- Dissemination and communication of truthful information to the public on the benefits of healthy living, and protection of the population against messages, publicity and campaigns considered dangerous to health.
- Promoting knowledge management, research, and innovation in the promotion of healthy lifestyles.
The achievement of the strategic objectives is articulated through a set of programmes that establish the measures and actions to be developed and their associated indicators of achievement and scope. The latter are part of the evaluation system designed for monitoring and are part of the Strategy itself.
Acknowledgements
General Directorate of Public Health and Pharmaceutical Management, Regional Ministry of Health and Families at the Regional Government of Andalusia.
Pablo García-Cubillana
Mental Health Nurse and Psychologist, MSc in Relational Psychotherapy and Expert in Health Promotion. He currently coordinates the Andalusian Plan for Healthy Living, developing his activities between the Andalusian Regional Ministry of Health and Families and the Andalusian Health Service. Much of his professional career has been developed in the mental health field (planning, implementation and evaluation of policies and programs), and since 2018 in the health promotion field, promoting innovations in Healthy Lifestyle, with a comprehensive, intersectoral and salutogenic approach and an emphasis on the social determinants of health.
Amelia Martín
Journalist, MSc in Health Promotion and Expert in Community Management on Social Media and Qualitative Research. She is currently a professor, researcher and project manager of communication management, marketing and social communication at the Andalusian School of Public Health. For the last years, she has worked in crisis and risk communication, citizen participation, local action in health and humanization care projects, patient-focused programs and strategic planning process for health policies.
M. Dolores Fernández
Pedagogy, MSc in Territorial Employment Policies. Currently Head of the Health Promotion and Local Action Service at the Andalusian Regional Ministry of Health and Families. Her professional career has been linked to the development and implementation of active employment policy programmes, child protection programs and, since 2013, in the field of health promotion, promoting and coordinating different health promotion programmes and health care strategies.