The World Health Organization in the Ottawa Charter in 1986 defines health promotion as the process of enabling people to increase control over the determinants of health and thereby improve their health.

In an increasingly globalized world, new approaches are required to improve the health of the population. Health promotion aims to do this by building healthy public policy; creating supportive environments; strengthening community actions; developing personal skills and reorienting health services. Health promotion is a fundamental component of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) corporate strategy, making it integral to work in international health.

WHO applies health promotion principles and strategies in a variety of settings and with a range of population groups. Health promotion approaches are broad-ranging and vary from the prevention of communicable diseases to improving school-based health education.