Community empowerment or a healthy community development is one of strategy in public health to achieve the highest degree of health. These process uses the potential that exists in the community.
The key word is sustainable. Therefore, empowerment means the process of empowering people to be able to improve their health in a sustainable manner.
Another definition states that it is an effort to help or facilitate the community so that they has knowledge, willingness and ability to prevent and or overcome the health problems (to facilitate problem solving).
Community Empowerment’s Principles
The final goal is community empowerment, self-sufficient and independent.
In the process, there are several principles that need to be applied. These principles are:
- From, by and for society
- Cultivate the potential that exists in the community
- Develop community mutual cooperation
- Explore the contribution / participation of the local community
- Decentralization or Local Government Authority submission by the central government to autonomous regions
Also read: HL Bloom Theory in Public Health Sciences
Empowering communities is a process. Therefore, it requires participation from community groups who have the same goal.
Meanwhile, health workers or health practitioners are tasked with build an atmosphere to encourage that one vision. Provide facilities and support, as well as assist in advocacy.
In these case, community as the object and the subject. Where in the process, the community is actively involved from the beginning of problem analysis until determining solutions together.
Also read: What is Epidemiology in Public Health?
Notes from DeveHealth:
In accordance with the main principle, empowerment should grow from, by and for the community. So that people become independent in maintaining their health in a sustainable manner.
