To what extent have action areas of the Ottawa Charter influenced health promotion

initiatives in Australia?

CVD is the leading cause of mortality rates in Australia, resulting in $12.7 billion expenditure
each year. Due to the increasing prevalence of CVD that will arise from an increase of elderly
individuals’ it is critical that action areas of the Ottawa Charter are utilised such as ___. Effective
implementation will aid significantly in promoting health behaviours such as reduced/no
smoking, healthy eating habits, regular exercise and regular checkups in order to prevent CVD.

Developing personal skills provides individuals’ with information, resources and guidance which
is essential towards influencing inidivduals to make healthier decisions. There are several
government health initiative within NSW such as Munch and Move which supports the healthy
development of young children within education facilities such as childcare. “Munch and Move
offers training and resources to educators working in early childhood education and care
services.” Through guided training and the provision of resources educators can utilise this and
implement engaging activities which promote healthy eating and physical activity habits to
young children. Munch and Move educates young people on health issues in a fun and
engaging manner, enouraging them to develop healthy lifestyle habits as they mature into an
adult further migitating the risks of developing CVD.

Creating supportive environments focuses on the environmental location of others such as

where people live, work and play. This environment can then be altered and modified to better
suit rising health issues specifically within Australia. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has
modifable protective factors such as regular physical activity, the government has taken this into
consideration and implemented accessible outdoor gym equipment. This can be accessed by
whoever and whenever further creating a supportive and welcoming environment. Accessible
gym equipment in public spaces encourages physical activity and promotes an active lifestyle
as it is convenient and inclusive. This significantly influences an individuals’ health-related
decisions as it encourages them to access this equipment and essentially benefit their
wellbeing, specifically their CVD wellbeing.

Strengthening community action refers to the communities identification of a health issue and
implementing strategies to overcome and address it. CVD is the leading cause of mortality
within Australia therefore, it is essential that there is implementation of strategies to mitigate
developing this disease. My Heart Foundation hosts a fundraiser within Australia called
MyMarathon. This fundraiser allows for the collaboration of diverse community members with
the intention to engage in physical activity through marathon running. This encourages others to
not only achieve physical activity themselves but also contribute towards ending cardiovascular
disease. This further rasies awareness for heart disease and the detrimental issues it may
present when developed, therefore encouraging others to utilise protective factors and avoid
risks associated with CVD.
Reorienting health services refers to the identification of a range of health services available, by
creating accessible health services the health sector focuses on prevention rather than just
curation. This can be cost-effective for the health sector and also benefit the individual.
Promotion of regular health checkups through advertisements can encourage individuals’ to
access these services with the intention of guiding them towards healthier lifestyles. Health
professionals can give individuals’ advice such as healthy eating, regular exercise, reduced/stop
to smoking and lower blood pressure in order to adopt healthy decison-making and therefore,
avoid CVD.

Building healthy public policy refers to the rules, regulations, laws, policies and guidelines which
are introduced to promote health, specifically CVD wellbeing. This is demonstrated within the
non-smoking legislation which restricts smoking in public places such as restaurants, pubsand
cafes etc. This is intended to lead to a reduction smoking, further encouraging smokers to stop
and it also reduces the exposure of tobacco for individuals who don’t smoke. This is significant
towards avoiding risk factors and therefore, avoid CVD.

Overall, the action areas of the Ottawa Charter have influenced a wide range of health
promotion initiatives in Australia aimed at preventing CVD and improving cardiovascular health
outcomes. By addressing individual behaviors, environmental factors, community engagement,
healthcare practices, and public policies, these initiatives collectively contribute to reducing the
burden of CVD and promoting a healthier population.