PROMOTING HEALTH EDUCATION PTOGRAMMES FOT INTEGRATION AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Health Education refers to any planned activity or set of organized activities aimed at increasing health status, literacy level and capable of developing skills that are conducing to healthy living. The content of health education programmes could comprise counseling, teaching, training or other related educational processes that are guided by group discussion or behavioral modification models. A quality health education programme, therefore, should include a health promotion and disease preventing strategy. A sequential health education curriculum spanning through all levels of teaching and learning environment is regarded as an imperative method of health promotion dynamics. The main thrust of this paper is the promotion of health education programmes design to enhance integration of individuals for national development. The objectives of any promotion of programmes and strategies in encouraging health education were carefully highlighted in the paper. Planning and organization of health education programmes, examples of an organized health education activities and components of Health Education programmes were extensively discussed. The paper concluded that no Health Education programmes will stand the test of time without a coordinated and a well articulated health policy emanating from health professionals that are capable of promoting, maintaining individual's health status in the society. It is on this premise that the paper suggested among others that a sustainable health promotion activities capable of fast-racking health challenges should be designed by health professionals, consistency in evaluating the health education curriculum
should be a cardinal objectives when analyzing and evaluating periodic health education exercise. Above all, all hands must be on deck to ensure a sustainable national development programmes in promoting good health knowledge, altitude and practices for global best
practices.