Health in all policies to upgrade health promotion
The new government programme on health promotion aims was formally presented in early September by former minister Maija Perho, the director of the programme, and the Minister for Health and Social Services Paula Risikko.
The aim of the programme, according to the minister, is to advance the thinking and practices of the ‘health in all policies’ approach, which was showcased during the Finnish Presidency of the EU.
The programme is seen as being particularly important in preparing for local government and service reforms that in part aim to guarantee quality health services.
Amidst population ageing and an anticipated surge in the use of health services over the next few decades, health promotion is key to improving preventive over curative care and treatment.
The programme focuses on developing the structural and legislative bases of health promotion and its application to different groups in the population, such as children and young people and people of working age.
The project goals stress that health promotion work is also cost effective in that preventive treatment is markedly cheaper than curative procedures.
Health promotion is clearly needed, because in recent years obesity and bad diet have become widespread, suggesting a future increase in related diseases unless health promotion kicks in.