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HEALTH EDUCATION
The Cohen report said that the health educator "must do more than provide information.
He must seek to persuade people to respond to health education measures
and to counteract anti-health pressure, notably those which invest particular products
or habits with a meretricious glamour."
On subjects for health education it said:—
"Among the subjects on which more education is much needed are human relationships,
sex education; mental and dental health, the early diagnosis of certain
types of cancer; recreation and the proper use of leisure; foot health, clean air;
fluoridation. It is notable that the health habits of middle-aged men are probably
worse now than forty years ago: despite advances in treatment their improvement
in expectation of life has been slow, and much less marked than among women."
"The skill of the new Health Educators will be used to attract support from a
wide range of interests and to provide suitable publicity and other backing for the
valuable work now being done by medical officers of health, health visitors, public
health inspectors and other staff."
The Health Education section of the department undertakes the provision of all
kinds of visual aids, including films, film-strips, overhead projection, posters and
pamphlets. Films are hired, and the apparatus taken to the respective clinics, mothers'
clubs, old people's clubs, and thus to a wide variety of audiences.
Local material, both in the form of charts and lecture information is prepared.
Several "in-service" training discussions and film shows have been arranged. For
example a film was shown and discussion held on the subject of psychoprophylaxis,
to which health visitors, midwives, and general practitioner obstetricians were
invited.
A shop window has been put at the Council's disposal by the Women's Voluntary
Service, and each month a display was arranged to coincide with the subject being
featured for the month by the various Health Centres. A Pharmaceutical Exhibition
has been arranged for January and a Home Safety Campaign is to start in March 1966.
On April the first, the first number of a new Health Bulletin was published. It
was prepared and printed before the actual amalgamation, being developed from the
Home Safety Bulletin previously produced by the Lewisham Health Department.
It now deals with health matters as well as those of home safety and has a distribution
of 5,500 issued quarterly.
Health Education involves making the public aware of the facilities available
through the Health Department. The Section therefore compiled a brochure on
"Health Services and how to obtain them" which has been widely distributed, giving
details of the different services available and their functions together with a list of
clinics, with local doctors and voluntary organisations.
This account would not be complete without an acknowledgement of the help
received from the Council's Public Relations Officer who has been vitally concerned
in publicising through the local press and other sources the various facilities of the
department offered to the public such as cervical cytology, and immunisation.
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