Empowerment & Social Determinants: Improving Public Health Practices

This essay examines the role of empowerment in public health practice, focusing on how it addresses social determinants of health. It highlights the significance of social and political changes in empowering communities, citing examples like the WHO's initiatives and Australian aboriginal health policies. The essay also discusses the importance of public health programs and the roles of public health practitioners in delivering health-related information and services. It emphasizes the need for practitioners to empower clients by understanding their needs and facilitating change through education and service. Furthermore, the essay defines social determinants of health according to the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH), including factors like safe food, housing, healthcare access, and socio-economic conditions. It also touches upon the concept of stewardship in healthcare sectors and its role in minimizing health risks and inequalities. The paper suggests that empowerment is a vital tool for improving public health practices and maximizing well-being.

Running head: SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
Action on Social Determinants of Health
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

2SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
Empowerment is an approach that can be used for public health promotion. In order to
reframe the health practices, it is crucial to use empowerment approach. Empowerment refers to
an action-oriented concept, which removes formal and informal barriers from the health practices
(Laverack 2007). Therefore, in healthcare practice empowerment transfers the power relations
between the governments, institution, and community. In order to implement health teaching for
the well-being, empowerment is necessary. However, if the empowerment is incorporated in the
health practice then people will be able to gain control over their health determinants. Hence, it
can be said that empowerment is helpful to improve the health practices and maximize the well-
being. This current study deals with the role of empowerment in public health practice (Laliberté
et al. 2012).
Various factors are involved in empowering the public health practices. However, due
to social and demographic changes, it becomes important for the practitioners to empower the
individuals. Social changes often lead the practitioners to encourage the people to take necessary
decision regarding their health. Social changes create social awareness as a result, it becomes
mandatory for the health sectors to empower the individuals. For example, the WHO has taken
initiatives to empower the people by developing their knowledge in health. They have conducted
various campaigns to increase the health awareness among the public. On the other hand, lack of
knowledge and inequality are the other factors that make an urge to empower the individuals to
increase their knowledge regarding health practice (Andersen et al. 2011). In order to lead the
people to take a decision regarding their health empowerment is vital. This causes empowerment
in the public health practice. Many people have lack of knowledge regarding the health practices.
On the other hand, in many healthcare sectors, individuals accept the advice from practitioners as
they have poor knowledge to take their health-related decision (Laverack 2007). Therefore, the

3SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
practitioners do not have a clear knowledge of how to deal with the people this hampers their
work. Hence, the practitioners must know how to empower the individuals to improve their
health. These factors are empowering community and individuals (Baum et al. 2009). Public
health program is a major approach that influences the empowerment in public health practice.
Public health program includes action plan to improve the health and safety of the individuals.
Therefore, non-profit agency and community involvement are required to give shape the public
health program. This program increases awareness among the people and empower them to take
part in health promotional activity. For example, WHO has conducted global public health days
campaign to empower the individuals and generate awareness among them regarding the health
and safety. This campaign is held for 7 days and influenced people to take part in it. However,
an introduction of top-down and bottom-up approach is a good way to empower the public health
practice (Auger 2013).
Social and political changes cause community empowerment. In Australia maximum
government policies address the aboriginal health. Such aboriginal health practice is an effective
initiative by Australian government, which is based on the empowerment principles. These
policies support the group empowerment, which lead the aboriginal people to make a decision
regarding their health practices (Baum et al. 2009). Therefore, political change in Australia
creates a new policy to improve the health practices by providing empowerment to the
individuals. In Australia the Family well-being empowerment program or FWB was introduced
to support the empowerment process (Keleher 2001). The social changes lead the practitioners
and non-profit organization to empower the people by increasing their knowledge in health
promotion.

4SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
Such agencies understand the importance of involving the community in health
promotion. Hence, collaborative partnership work is an outcome of social change, which
empowers the people in a community (Laliberté et al. 2012). Social changes highlight
community engagement to share the priorities of the individuals. By using a better accommodate
top-down and bottom-up agenda the practitioners and non-profit agency empower the people
(Chapman 2004). Apart from this establishment of health education practice and health teaching
is another outcome of social change, which also empowers the individuals by increasing their
knowledge regarding health issues. This leads them to take a decision regarding their health
improvement (Ellis and Walton 2012).
Political activity empowers the communities. However, the practitioners have identified
the political nature of the health agendas. It is important to engage others in partisan policies to
give shape the healthy public policies (Auger 2013). However, any political changes may lead
the people as well as health agencies to give their concern in health improvement. In order to
engage the community in health practices, the political party has taken initiatives. First, they
consider the legitimate individuals of the community and then influence them to participate in
public health improvement practice (Gil 1998). The political parties try to influence such
individuals an allow them to involve in improving the health practices. Political activity includes
changes in policy in a country. Government is the part of the political party. In Australia the
government has given their focus to improve the health of aboriginal community. This needs the
involvement of aboriginals in the health improvement program. Introduction of the FWB policy
by Australian government empower the aboriginal community, which leads them to gain control
over their health decision (Laverack 2007). On the other hand, the government implements
policies to improve the health practices by empowering the migrants.

5SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
The political parties in China, as well as the government, have taken initiatives to engage
the Chinese communities in public health promotion (Keleher 2001). Studies show adopting a
new lifestyle often causes accidents and injuries. It has been received that Asian migrants have
little knowledge about how to cover accidents insurance. In the context of Chinese migrants, this
is a major issue. Thus, the government has taken initiative to involve the Chinese migrants in
health promotion activity. It has been found that the Chinese migrants have limited knowledge
about how to deal with different circumstances and some are confused about how to access the
government service in a new country. Hence, the government suggests the Chinese migrants to
follow different channels through which their community can be informed about the government
facility (Keleher 2001).
The government established the Accident Compensation Corporation in 2006 in New
Zealand, which allows the migrants to get compensation from the government if an accident
occurs. Such method of a political party, as well as the government, is an effective approach to
empower the community. On the other hand, the government in UK and Australia introduce a
policy that makes a collaborative work between the local health department and the community
(Varda et al. 2008). This political approach is effective to empower the community. In the recent
years, the governments of various countries give their more focus to the marginalized group.
They have introduced a policy to involve such groups in health promotional activity by educating
them (Laliberté et al. 2012).
Public health practitioners play a significant role in promoting public health. However,
public health practitioners are responsible to deliver health-related information, services and
resources in the public domain (Laverack 2007). They have to establish a good relationship with
the stakeholders as well as with the clients. The traditional role of public health practitioner

6SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
highlights that they serve as the enforcer of health legislation. For example, the Sanitary
Policeman or Environmental Health Officers are the public health practitioners who have the
power to control their clients by maintaining the legislation. The role of public health
practitioners includes various works. For example, the environmental and health department is
responsible for inspection, complaint investigation and licensing. They are responsible to
establish a safe environment in school, hospital, workplace, and prison.
Another role of public health practitioners includes specialist service, training, and
education. However, the health practitioners should empower the people besides maintain the
legislation. On the other hand, by creating educational program or health teaching activities the
practitioners are able to provide education to the people. Therefore, they also provide advice and
health related information to the individuals to improve their health. For example, the nurse gives
advice to a young mother to take care of her child that belongs from an antenatal group. This
activity improves the image of the practitioner as a health professional that has a good technical
skill (Baum et al. 2009). Similarly, the doctor or health physician plays an important role in
developing the health of well-being. Therefore, the public health practitioners also act as an
enforcer, technical specialist, and educator. As an enforcer the practitioners need to maintain the
legal norms while giving health related service to the individuals. They should keep it in mind
that they have to provide support to the people besides making compliance with the legislations.
Therefore, as a technical specialist they have to access the modern technology while taking part
with health promotional activity.
Often practitioners fail to understand that their day to day work can empower other
people to improve their health. The major role of practitioners is to empower the people. They
have to empower the clients based on their needs rather than their own needs. However, often

7SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
some people do not want to be empowered. This creates a critical situation for the practitioners.
As for example, the doctor needs to empower the patients. In the case of mental patients, it
becomes difficult for the health practitioners to empower such patients. The practitioners
empower their clients to enhance their responsibilities and to control their lives. Therefore, the
practitioners have to empower the powerless people (Laverack 2007). Hence, from the entire
analysis, it has been addressed that practitioners play an important role in facilitating change in
their client's life by providing proper education and service. On the other hand, the public
practitioners work with social agencies to provide service to the indigenous groups to empower
them (Chapman 2004). It can be said that community empowerment is a big role of public health
practitioners.
Social determinants of health are defined by CSDH or Commission on Social
Determinants of Health. According to CSDH social determinants are the social, political, cultural
and economic condition in which individuals live and work (McPhail-Bell et al. 2013). For
example, safe food, safe housing, access to healthcare service, social support, quality of
education, access to healthcare service and socio-economic condition are the major social
determinants of health. In order to get a safe living culture, people need to consider such social
determinants (Minkler 2012). To develop the public health the public health practitioners need to
follow the social determinants. For a healthy life, safe food and safe housing are crucial. Studies
show that in many countries the refugees and poor people do not get safe environment and safe
food, which lead them to face health inequalities (Chapman 2004). Therefore, poor socio-
economic condition resists the people to access healthcare facilities. However, lack of social
support and education may lead the people to face mental disorder and other health diseases.

8SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
The healthcare sector is considered as the vital determinant of health. The term
stewardship is a term that highlights various roles, which are carried out by the actors present in
healthcare sectors (Baum et al. 2009). These actors work collaboratively between the healthcare
sectors and the government sectors. People who are involved in this stewardship program are
able to minimize the health risk and health imperialism. Stewardship is applied to improve
general healthcare duty for the population's health, which is borne by the government (Minkler
2012). This facilitates the relationship between the healthcare sectors and the government
sectors. This stewardship provides a range of education and infrastructure for the urban planning.
The health inequality is high between the poor and rich country. However, the structural
adjustment affects the healthcare system of a country. The health care sectors have taken
initiatives to deal with AIDS that also highlights that lack of social support leads such patients to
develop more health inequalities (Gil 1998). In low and middle-income countries there is socio-
economic inequality, which creates health inequality. Therefore, the healthcare sectors need to
meet the needs of the people by maximizing the health of well-being (McPhail-Bell et al. 2013).
The World Health Organization has taken action on social determinants of health to
reduce health inequalities from various countries. According to the CSDH report on inequality in
power, resources and money create health inequality between the countries (Marmot et al. 2013).
In 2008 WHO published "closing the gap in a generation" to deal with the social determinants of
health. CSDH acknowledged that changes occurred in the global health practice as global health
had revolved around development of health control system and disease control efforts. To reduce
the health equalities CSDH has recommended various methods. At first they focus on the
importance of early childhood education and development. Therefore, they said that healthy
place is required to keep the people healthy (Mundy 2013).

9SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
On the other hand, fair employment and decent work need to provide to the individuals.
Therefore, social protection and universal healthcare should be carried out by the government
and the social agencies (Mundy 2013). Next, CSDH has grouped six areas under the inequitable
distribution of money, resource, and power. The government needs to set the policy, which
includes health equity. Fair financing should be followed at national and international level
(Varda et al. 2008). One of the important things is the establishment of gender equity and
inclusion to ensure the health equity in a country. Moreover, the political empowerment and
good global are crucial to establish health equity in the country. From the entire discussion, it can
be evaluated that government needs to take the major responsibility to deal with the health
inequality in various countries as it can ensure healthy life of people by giving them
empowerment (Minkler 2012).
The entire study reveals that health inequality is a major concern in the recent years. To
deal with this problem it is important for the public health practitioners to empower the
individuals. One of the most important steps is the community empowerment. However, political
activity plays an important role in empowering the community. It has been received that
inequality in money, resource and power gives rise the health inequality in many countries.
Hence, the government should take initiative to reduce health inequalities from the country and
empower the people.

10SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
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