Advocacy and Health Promotion

Abstract

The global burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is a rising concern. Control of CVD needs a multi-sectoral approach, and advocacy and health promotion are important pillars in CVD control programs. This chapter focuses on the importance of advocacy and health promotion to holistically address CVDs and draws upon examples of advocacy at an international level and provides a case study from India. It posits that a non-communicable disease (NCD) civil society movement has grown substantively at all levels and is influencing CVD control programs to a large extent. The exemplars highlighted include the role played by Healthy India Alliance and the Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth (HRIDAY) in health promotion activities in India and the NCD Alliance and World Heart Federation at the international level in addressing CVD. Further, the chapter demonstrates that translating global commitments on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), NCDs and universal health coverage (UHC) into national action demands leadership at the highest levels and a “whole-of-society” approach that engages all sectors and stakeholders and requires high-level advocacy. Civil society, youth and people living with NCDs have a critical role in ensuring that health systems and health promotion initiatives are effective. The chapter highlights examples of successful health promotion and advocacy initiatives, such as a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in Mexico, where the proposal to levy a tax on SSBs was a successful multisectoral and multi-stakeholder effort. In addition, the capacity building of various stakeholders such as youth through a sustained platform like Global Youth Meet on Health (GYM) has been found to be vital. Lastly, characteristics of successful health promotion and advocacy campaigns (community-led, multisectoral and multi-stakeholder engagement, evidence-based and targeted at policy change, avoiding conflict of interest, maintaining transparency and accountability, and having robust communications strategy) are emphasized.