Jakarta Declaration

The Jakarta Declaration is a declaration signed at the World Health Organisation's 1997 Jakarta Conference. The declaration reiterated the importance of the agreements made in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, and added emphasis to certain aspects of public health promotion in the 21st century.

The declaration voiced an intention to:

• Promote social responsibility for health
• Increase investment in health development
• Expand partnerships for health promotion
• Increase community capacity to empower the individual
• Secure an infrastructure for health promotion

The declaration recognizes that:

• participation is necessary for change
• health literacy is essential for participation - emphasizes the need for access to education and information and hence, the empowerment of individuals and communities
• five action areas are more effective than a single approach

In the United Kingdom, the central message of the Jakarta declaration is similar to the government's current health policy. That is the emphasis on infrastructure and investment, with the hope of empowering the service user with choice.

References

1. Ewles L, Simnett I (2001) Health promotion - a practical guide. Balliere Tindall: London.

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