Achievement of Health Promotion Fund and Projects in Korea

국민건강증진기금사업 10년 성과

There has been 10 years since The Health Promotion Act was legislated. The government began to establish a health promotion fund on the basis of Health Promotion Act in 1995, and to manage and operate the fund from 1998. It is evaluated that health promotion program have had various outcomes in many aspects. First, there has been growing awareness of the impotance of health promotion through the establishment of Health Plan 2010 and the effort to actualize the Plan. Second, the importance of securing health equity and identifying health determinants have been recognized during the planning process of Health Plan 2010. Third, the health promotion program have mainly focused on improving healthy life style of the population. As a result, desirable health behavior change of the population could be expected from the result of 2005 National Health and Nutrition Survey. Fourth, public health centers began to play a crucial role in implementing health promotion programs, and began to build infrastructure for health promotion programs. Fifth, the outcomes of health promotion programs by public health centers and private health organizations have been increasing. Finally, training for health promotion personnel and their participation in the program could be the foundation for the higher level of outcome achievement from the health promotion programs. Important challenges for future health promotion would be identification of the determinants and risk factors of health in Korea, establishment of local health promotion plan, building infrastructure for health promotion, creation of specific action model by public health center, development of diverse health promotion programs and health promotion program for the elderly, conducting research for evidence concerning major factors reducing the need for health care through prevention disease activities, and establishment of evaluation and feed back system for health promotion programs.