ADELAIDE - 1988

The Adelaide Conference in 1988 started from the position that health is both a fundamental human right and a sound social investment. The Conference urged governments to promote health through linked economic, social and health policies. Delegates stressed the need for equity in health and the need for governments to forge new alliances for health promotion with partners such as corporations and businesses, trade unions, nongovernmental organizations and community groups.

Participants reaffirmed the commitment to the strong public health alliance which the Ottawa Charter called for.

The Conference identified four key priority areas for healthy public policy:

* improving the health of women - the world’s primary health promoters;
* food and nutrition - ensuring adequate amounts of healthy food for all;
* tobacco and alcohol - major health hazards that deserve immediate action;
* creating supportive environments - so that health is nurtured and protected.

Since 1988 many international organizations, countries and sub-national governments have adopted public health policies which embody the spirit of Adelaide.

UNICEF included the five action areas of the Ottawa Charter as part of its health strategy in 1995, while in Europe, 17 countries have formulated “Health of the Nation”-type documents and an additional four countries are in the process of doing so. Australia and several Canadian provinces have also adopted public health policies in the spirit of Ottawa and Adelaide.