Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Declaración Shangái Hito Promoción de La Salud
Declaración Shangái Hito Promoción de La Salud
doi: 10.1093/heapro/daw112
Editorial
Editorial
A watershed for health promotion
HEALTH PROMOTION AND THE SDGS health promotion action areas into modern tools and
methods that will contribute towards the achievement of
The 9th WHO Global Conference on Health Promotion
the SDGs. The two Declarations adopted in Shanghai
- held in Shanghai, China in November 2016 - was ex-
provide a road map for countries to act on the SDGs in a
traordinary. It was held almost exactly 30 years after the
transformative way.
first Global Conference in Ottawa, Canada that pro-
The Shanghai Declaration on promoting health in
duced the Ottawa Charter (WHO 1986). The Ottawa
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (WHO,
Charter brought about a genuine paradigm shift in
2016a) makes clear the continuing relevance of health
thinking about how to improve public health. The
promotion. At the core of the Declaration are clear
Shanghai Conference could prove to be another water-
statements advocating improved governance for health
shed for public health action if the ideas and commit-
at all levels; the development of Healthy Cities that are
ments developed at the Conference are taken forward
inclusive, safe and resilient for the whole population;
and acted upon meaningfully. The Conference centrally
and the importance of health literacy that empowers in-
positioned health promotion within the 2030 UN
dividual citizens and enables their engagement in collec-
Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN 2015). The
tive health promotion action. Inevitably, such a
actions required to achieve the UN Sustainable
document is bound by some of the checks and balances
Development Goals (SDGs) set the direction, tone and
of political consensus building. But the Declaration is
aspirations for the meeting. Critical actions proposed
unambiguous in its description of the tough political
for member states at the national level will need to be
choices faced by decision makers and advocates un-
complemented with a localized implementation agenda
ashamedly for health in the face of other interests.
spearheaded by cities; and a strong joint global purpose,
The Shanghai Consensus on Healthy Cities (WHO
led at the United Nations through the SDGs.
2016b) is an equally powerful statement of intent that
The Director General of the WHO Margaret Chan -
clearly identifies the role of cities in delivering practical,
and many other high level speakers – made clear that the
local actions to address the SDGs and through such ac-
SDGs provide a unique opportunity for addressing
tion, address the social determinants of health.
health and its many determinants in an integrated and
transformative way. This Agenda sees eradicating pov-
erty in all its forms and dimensions as the greatest global
challenge, and identifies “ensuring healthy lives and pro-
HEALTH PROMOTION IS ON THE
moting well-being for all at all ages” as one of the most POLITICAL AGENDA
important indicators of progress on our collective jour- These formal outcomes from the Conference were devel-
ney during the next 15 years. World leaders have com- oped through a process leading up to the conference, in-
mitted to leave no one behind. There was a real sense cluding broad on-line consultations, advisory meetings
from the Shanghai Conference that the contemporary and consultations with member states. This was differ-
challenge and opportunity is to convert the Ottawa ent from many previous health promotion conferences
C The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com
V
Editorial 3
which were mainly focused on achieving a consensus Indeed, it seems as if the centre of gravity of health
between conference participants. In Shanghai it was evi- promotion is shifting. The most obvious demonstration
dent that the aspiration voiced at Ottawa to “put health of this came from the political commitment of the host
high on the political agenda” had taken significant country China. The prime minister himself came to give
strides forward. Now the political choice for health has the message of China’s recently adopted 2030 strategy
to be addressed at every level of government. for health - the largest country in the world with 20% of
But having health “high on the political agenda” is the world’s population has committed at the very high-
not without its risks and challenges, as anything that is est political level to promoting the health of its popula-
major WHO event to put the co-dependencies that exist mayor’s agenda.” The Mayors present at the conference
between the achievement of improved health and the committed to sharing experiences and best practices to
achievement of all of the SDGs onto centre stage. bring together global and national goals with local
Through the Shanghai Declaration the participants plans and programs. They asked the World Health
pledge to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs Organization to support them in this effort and to
“through increased political commitment and financial strengthen its healthy city networks in all regions.
investment in health and its determinants”. These priori-
ties reflect the damaging effects of unsustainable produc-
NEW DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH
people; a world where major gender inequalities persist. It is essential for WHO to exercise its leadership role
For them, health promotion needs to be part of an in promoting health in the SDG context by
agenda for change that takes us from the local to the
• Working through the WHO governing bodies - for
global into areas of finance, trade and investment policy;
example when discussion the agenda item on Health
and agenda that tackles policy incoherence between
in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at
health and trade, irresponsible business practices, cor-
the next 140th Executive Board in January 2017
ruption; and an agenda that leads to sustainable produc-
• Engaging in the action priorities stated by the
tion and consumption and fairer economic models. The
Shanghai declaration - good governance for health,