PCD Strategy Evaluation 2007.pdf - NT Health Digital Library ...

Building the capacity of the health system – organisational commitment, policies,systems and resources to promote health, andBuilding the capacity of communities and community members – their skills, practicesand orientation to improving health and solving local problems (57) .Essential Primary Health Care Standards for Remote Aboriginal Communities in the NorthernTerritory – a companion project, aimed at setting primary health care standards for the NT (58) . Itprovided standards for health promotion activity in remote community health settings andoutlined the health promotion training and support necessary to achieve these standards. Thisreport included standards for primary clinical care, public health, health promotion, visiting andreferral services, and support systems.Both reports reinforced the importance of training in health promotion for building the capacity ofhealth personnel, the health system, community members and communities to promote andimprove health (55) .3.3.1 Health promotion program fundingPrior to the restructure of the NTDH&CS in 2003, a Health Promotion Program was situatedwithin the Department in Health Development. This program delivered accredited education andtraining courses in health promotion specifically for Aboriginal Health Promotion Officers, ruraland urban primary health care providers, including allied health workers and Aboriginal HealthWorkers (59) . People who completed these courses were also given support by the program staffto deliver health promotion programs and activities within their own work settings.In the mid 1990‟s those who attained Certificate IV in Health Promotion were supported by smallincentive grants of initially up to $5000 to apply the skills learnt for health promotion programs,which over time was reduced to $2000. The incentive fund process disappeared in 2003. Theevaluation of this program found overall that it appeared to be succeeding in its aims. A majorconcern of the reviewers however, was that the results of such a capacity-building programwould tend to be invisible, and that infrastructure and resources to support the programsimplementation were „depleted‟ (60) .Chapter 3: Progress Against PCDS Objectives – Evaluation of the NT Preventable Chronic Disease Strategy 2007 42