[Objectives of education for health]

The health concept has recently acquired a new dimension which reflects in health education. To its fundamental objective which is the control of disease must not be added an improved quality of life. Health education must create a turn of mind in order to suppress a number of avoidable risks. It is at the root of prevention which should be based on precise epidemiological data. Health education also plays a role in the socio-economic development of nations. All aspects of development: education, agriculture, public works, health and economy are interrelated. The health of a community depends on a number of decision taken in various sectors. The author who acted as health advisor to several developing countries proposed, with little success, the creation of interministerial committees to coordinate different sectors which all can make contribution to better health. Health education is one of the factors of development because it contributes to: increase the efficacy of health services, curative as well as preventive; to improve productivity by reducing occupational diseases and accidents; to change the social climate of communities by getting the people to participate in finding solutions to their own health problems. Moreover, health education needs to be effective on a nationwide scale to be supported by health authorities. This is also one of the points made in the editorial (p. 4) to explain certain failures due to the absence of policy support.