Jakarta Statement on Active Living
Active Living/Physical Activity for Health constitutes one of the major components of a healthy lifestyle and general health promotion and protection. There is today strong evidence to indicate that regular Physical Activity provides people of all ages, male and female, with substantial physical, social and mental health gains and general well-being.
Regular physical activity reduces the risk of premature mortality in general and to a large extent protects against the development of the major noncommunicable, chronic diseases. It may also reduce the prevalence of obesity and provide a beneficial adjunct for alcoholism, substance abuse and other forms of addictive behaviour.
The changing burden of disease, the great proportion of young population and the increasing longevity throughout the world make it necessary to identify lifelong health-enhancing strategies that are safe, effective and low cost such as increasing physical activity. Physical Activity for Health was thus investigated at the 4th International Conference on Health Promotion (held in Jakarta, Indonesia, 21-25 July 1997) as one of the ten priority health promotion areas of the conference and as one of the most important future challenges.
A symposium was organized on this emerging health promotion topic. The following issues were emphasized:
- Scientific evidence shows that daily moderate activity enhances health in its broadest sense;
- Sedentary modern lifestyles make it increasingly difficult and provide less and less incentive for people to remain physically active;
- Experiences so far suggest three pathways to successful development and implementation of active living programmes:
- sound scientific basis leading to policy support and action programs
- development and evaluation of community interventions with an intersectoral Involvement
- effective advocacy as well as dissemination and communication of information.
- Review of a number of large-scale physical activity promotion programmes further pointed out several important and encouraging issues :
- there are needs and possibilities for immediate action;
- acting locally, even in national programmes, is essential in order to tailor the programmes to correspond to real needs, expectations, and opportunities;
- projects directed to children and women should be a priority;
- realization of the actions should be simple, even if the foundation is sophisticated;
- documentation of the activities is important for evaluation and transfer of the experiences.
- WHO continuous support to physical activity and the launching of its Global Active Living Initiative were welcomed as an important, timely and potentially effective measure.
An important outcome of the Conference regarding physical activity was that sedentary behaviour was included in the Conference Declaration as one of the demographic trends that threaten the health and well-being of hundreds of million people worldwide.
In conclusion, WHO Initiative on "Active Living: Physical Activity for Health" was included for the first time as a separate issue in the programme of the International Health Promotion Conferences. It gained strong interest among the participants, it is well represented in the Conference report, and it is pointed out as one of the determinants of health in the Conference Declaration.
Jakarta Statement on Healthy Ageing
Ageing is currently the most important demographic trend worldwide. Further ageing of societies in developed countries is now accompanied by unprecedentedly rapid ageing of populations in developing countries.
The challenges and opportunities for society are multiple and universal. Investments for health throughout life ensure that individuals reach old age enjoying increasing levels of health. This life-course perspective is essential. Health in old age depends on investment in health from childhood. Further major benefits are gained from interventions in adult life - to include those targeting individuals already in old age.
There is a clear evidence that health promotion interventions in relation to ageing work. Data from a number of countries indicate that older people are enjoying better physical and mental health leading to improved social well-being.
A "healthy ageing" initiative has been launched under WHO leadership. It promotes a cycle of activities: the strengthening of information bases; dissemination of information; advocacy; informed research; training; and policy development. It encourages community-based and inter-generational activities. It emphasizes gender and ethical issues.
Successful projects depend on multi-sectoral involvement. The participation of older people themselves as active players and role models, reinvesting in health as they continue to age, greatly strengthens the process. Firm partnerships are needed with many other agencies and sectors - NGOs, governments, educational bodies, the media and the private sector. Projects should be evaluated to identify models of good practice. Only through evidence of effectiveness will decision-makers be convinced and policy development influenced.
Health is the building block which enables individuals to continue to contribute to society. "Healthy older people are a resource for their families, their communities and the economy" (Brasilia Declaration on Ageing, WHO, July 1996).
Healthy Cities, Villages, Islands, Communities
The global Healthy Cities movement, which now incorporates islands, villages, communities, towns, municipalities, cities, and megacities around the world, has been a very successful application of the Ottawa Charter's strategies. Healthy Cities embodies healthy schools, workplaces, health care facilities, markets and other settings. Healthy Cities is the balance of people's spirit and technologies. The process of creating healthier cities is a practical example of the effectiveness of partnerships between local governments involving different departments, residents, NGOs, private sectors, community organizations, and academics.
Commitment at local level
Commitment to build successful partnerships for Healthy Cities rests on action at local level. Partnerships at several levels with various partners widens diversity in alliance. They include partnerships within the health sector, within the public sector, between cities, and across sectors. This requests participation from health, environment, economy, ecology, education, and urban planning fields. Decentralization expedites influential partnerships.
Tailor-made effectual formula
There is no single standard formula to build up effective partnerships for Healthy Cities. The leadership and managerial skills affect its outcome. Social pressure is a key to stimulate leaders to make partnerships with the concerned organizations and people to enhance health promotion in places where people live. Health plans developed through partnerships contribute to health gain.
Key mechanisms
Mechanisms to constitute influential partnerships are to tackle hot local issues, to build on cultural and historical backgrounds, to employ a holistic approach, to build on mutual success, to work step by step, to be aware of generating additional financial resources to sustain good partnerships, and to involve decision makers of communities.
Enablement
We need to enable people of various sectors to build partnerships at the local level. People need skills to find partners, work with different partners, mediate, create participatory platforms, and work towards the same goal. We need to increase partnership literacy.
This commitment to building the Healthy Cities movement is for the health of the people.
Jakarta Statement on Health Promoting Schools
Every child has the right and should have the opportunity to be educated in a health promoting school. The participants of the 4th International Conference on Health Promotion call upon international and national agencies, governments, communities, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector to support the development of Health Promoting Schools. They urge governments, groups and individuals to promote the concept of the health promoting school as a sound investment in the future, when considering policies, priorities and expenditures. They call upon all agencies to support the integration of health-related issues into a comprehensive approach that enable schools to use their full potential to promote the physical, social and emotional health of students, staff, families and community members.
Jakarta Statement on Healthy Workplaces
The participants attending the Symposium on Healthy Workplaces at the 4th International Conference on Health Promotion (Jakarta, July 1997) underlined the great importance of work settings for the promotion of health of working populations, their families and friends, the community and society at large. A healthy workforce is vital for sustainable social and economic development on global, national, and local level.
The globalization of business life, technological developments and changes in the demographic structure of populations are leading to new types of employment patterns, such as temporary and part-time work, self-employment and telework. High rates of unemployment are becoming one of the major social problems all over the world. The participants of the symposium stated that "there is no shortage of work, only of jobs. We have to reconsider our values and combine economic development with human development."
The various trends foreseeable in society have to be taken into account for the development of policies and action plans influencing workers' health. Until now most investments for health of working populations have been made in large-scale enterprises. However, informal work settings, small-scale and micro enterprises are becoming increasingly important as new venues for work, national stability and economic growth. This poses considerable challenges to all sectors of society, and calls in line with the Jakarta Declaration for partnership between non-governmental organizations, all branches of the public and private sector, educational bodies and the media.
Comprehensive workplace approaches are essential which take into consideration physical, emotional, psychosocial, organizational and economic factors both within work settings and all other settings, in which people fulfill their multiple life roles. Among other things, this means that strong links to existing setting approaches such as Healthy Cities, Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Promoting Schools have to be established. In the face of these future challenges, WHO has developed a new initiative, called WHO's global Healthy Work Approach (HWA), which serves as a catalyst for partnership between the different stakeholders. This approach is based upon the following four complementary principles:
- health promotion
- occupational health and safety
- human resource management
- and sustainable (social and environmental) development.
Together, these fundamental principles make it possible to deal with the impact of a wide variety of factors on working people, the surrounding community and society at large.
To strengthen such a global initiative the participants of the symposium at the Jakarta Conference stressed the importance to advocate for global unity and solidarity to promote and protect the health of employed and unemployed people. Priority areas, criteria and key strategies have to be specified in every region of the world through an open dialogue between the different sectors of society. This process will have to be supported by a strong investment in research on the impact of workers health on social and economic development.
Jakarta Statement on the Private Sector
By the Ad Hoc Private Sector Group
Private sector companies and groups attending the Jakarta Conference warmly welcomed the opportunity afforded to them by the WHO for full participation in the ongoing health promotion discussions, with the central theme of building effective partnerships involving new players.
Evidence presented to the Conference outlining the "crisis of suffering" facing the populations of the world, clearly indicates the need for the private sector to play a full and responsible part in working with WHO and government, in both developed and developing countries, to meet the health challenges ahead.
Private sector companies and groups represented at Jakarta are committed to working with WHO, governments and NGOs to help inspire similar commitment from other responsible private sector companies and groups. We share the view that the issue of greater health expectancy is as important to companies and the communities they serve, as was the issue of the environment in the 1980s and early 1990s.
We further believe that best practice in the workplace involves a comprehensive and holistic approach to the promotion of physical, mental and emotional well-being for workforces and families. We are also fully aware of the continuing need for companies to be vigilant as to the health impact of their products and services, as well as to the way they are produced, delivered and marketed.
The private sector at large has spent billions of dollars over the last decade in health promotion programs, stimulated in part by the ground-breaking Ottawa Charter. However, for millions of people in both developed and developing countries the private sector's crucial contribution to health promotion is as wealth creators and job providers. The eradication of poverty through the provision of opportunities to work is a crucial, yet undervalued, contribution to health promotion provided by the private sector. Yet there is more to be done.
Our view is that health promotion programs in the corporate sector, whether philanthropic or commercial, will become more effective if they are delivered through practical, balanced and transparent partnerships.
Having taken the first steps in creating such partnerships during our time here in Jakarta, the private sector companies and groups would wish to maintain a regular dialogue with the new partners and WHO, leading to agree partnership protocols and commitments. General protocols for successful partnerships must include transparency, accountability, mutual benefit and ethics. Other protocols must be tailored to particular partnerships, such as commitment to the highest standards of professional and scientific practice.
The private sector seeks to ensure successful partnerships by reaching agreement on commitments to:
- Regular measurement of goals and objectives;
- Sharing fully and openly all information relevant, and wherever possible, sharing resources be they managerial, technological, training or financial;
- Maintaining open dialogue in the spirit of understanding with an aim to reach agreement on joint values, joint responsibilities and joint action plans;
- Open acknowledgement of the contribution of each partner, and the responsibilities of both new and old players in health promotion.
The Scope and Purpose Document prepared by WHO for the 4th International Conference, outlined the expected outcomes of the Jakarta meeting. We believe that our statement addresses directly many of those outcomes, particularly those regarding alliances and partnership principles.
Private sector companies and groups at Jakarta warmly welcome the Jakarta Declaration and commit themselves to participate fully in its implementation.