The real challenge: a self-health system with genuine commitment

Major concepts and principles of health education have succeeded when they have been applied in the field with genuine commitment as illustrated by the programme at the Rural Health Training Centre in India and demonstrated by health education projects in Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. But community health programmes have either failed or their progress been retarded by lack of true commitment to these concepts and principles. At the political, administrative and technical levels of administration, commitment can be developed and strengthened by involvement in health education programmes which apply and adapt health education concepts and principles. Commitment spreads vertically and horizontally, and health education faculty in the schools of public health should facilitate this process. Health education with commitment should operate as a self-reliant health care delivery system to meet the primary health needs of people. Its evolution and development into a self-health system which links and involves the individual, family, community, school, work place, institutions and the total environment in an integrated self-care process is a challenge to be faced. Though the individual and his family assume responsibility for their health, each component of the system has an important role in maintaining and promoting it. In addition there are facilitating systems like the drug industry, whose participation will be crucial for effective functioning of the self-health system. Development of self-health systems is the emerging challenge which the health education specialists of the future will have to meet and they have to be trained adequately in new areas of knowledge, relationships, experience and skills. The new role, in addition to traditional skills, requires a high degree of competence in pioneering, innovating, planning, coordinating and evaluating education for self-health care measures. Above all, health education specialists should be continuously engaged in action research activities which reinforce their commitment to the principles and concepts of health education and promote its spread to all the key levels of the administration.