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264
Welfare Department. After inital settling down, reorganisation
within the Department resulted in the establishment of a Health
Education Section, under the Health Education Officer to provide
specific services as noted below:—
1. To act as the main channel for publicity, public relations
and information for the Department and to maintain a
constant pressure of activity in this respect.
2. To provide a service to all other sections of the Department.
3. To initiate, co-ordinate, participate in, or give assistance
on, Health and Welfare projects, national and local, such
as campaigns, courses, conferences and exhibitions.
4. To provide a service of film shows, talks and other
educational projects to local organisations, schools and
youth organisations, shops, factories and workplaces.
5. To have particular responsibility toward the promotion
of Home Safety, in all its aspects.
6. To conduct surveys on the effectiveness of health education projects and the current need for campaigns on
pecific aspects.
7. To collect and collate statistical material related to health
education activities of the Department.
Although health education, mainly of an informational nature,
has existed since the inception of public health measures during
the 19th century, it is only in recent years that emphasis has
shifted to those areas in which legislation has little or no effect
upon the promotion of positive health. Notwithstanding that a
large proportion of the work still involves the promotion of
understanding and co-operation in health developments, there are
many aspects of modern health thinking which depend upon
individual decisions. These include a person refraining from
harming his or her own health or influencing in a derogatory
manner those with whom he or she comes into contact particularly
with regard to children and young people. Problems of smoking,
dental caries, obesity, lack of exercise, casual promiscuity or the
more dramatic forms of self injury such as drug taking are current
examples. In these and other matters, including home accident
prevention, the aim of health education is to achieve a climate
of opinion where indulgence in anti-health activities is viewed
with the same distaste as infrequent bathing, spitting, etc., are
regarded to-day.
This change in emphasis has been channelled and focused
by the Cohen Report on Health Education which makes farreaching recommendations for the future development of the
service.