Developing local health plans

Strengthening local enabling strategies for improving health

Description

Developing local health plans involves systematically assessing community health needs, setting clear priorities, and designing targeted interventions to address identified gaps. This strategy mobilizes local resources, coordinates stakeholders, and establishes measurable objectives to improve health outcomes. By tailoring solutions to specific local challenges—such as disease prevalence, resource limitations, or service accessibility—local health plans provide practical frameworks for effective action, monitoring, and adaptation, ensuring responsive and sustainable improvements in community health.

Implementation

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities.

Agenda 21 suggests the adoption or strengthening of municipal or local "enabling strategies" that emphasize "doing with" rather than "doing for" and creating a supportive environment for health.