Content
Discussion
Emergence
of Health Promotion
The emergence
of health promotion as a concept distinct from traditional public
health practice or disease prevention took place in the 20th
century. However, many of the strategies used to promote health
and prevent disease have deeper
roots.
For example,
the ancient Egyptians, whose writings provide some of the earliest
records of public health practice, developed systems for sewage
disposal, distributed surplus grain to feed the poor, and printed
tracts warning against the harmful effects of consuming too much
alcohol.
This example
from 4000 B.C illustrates the longevity of two health promotion
strategies that have remained in use to the present day:
 education
encouraging healthy behaviours at the individual level, and
the development of
healthy public policies at the community level.
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