Genevive Onuigwe - Professional Portfolio

The primary aim of the health promotion field is to promote health equity, and accordingly it is appropriate for us to critically analyze facets of our social landscape. For me, as a person from a racialized community, I bring to understandings of health disparities an important social identity that helps me to build on the idea of working toward equal health values for all marginalized people.

This citation by Heard et al. (2020) is the source of my claim about health promotion and intersectionality. Gender, race and quotient socio-economic are related factors which sets the platform to grasp why people in disadvantaged position are disproportionately deprived of these resources. This information causes me to think about the disparities that people of different backgrounds face in terms of health, thus revealing a need for tailored interventions.

Health disparities are characteristic of large-scale, systemic processes such as those identified by Whitehead and Dahlgren (1991), which confirms their foundational layers in the society. I come from a place which means that I am one of the lucky ones, in my life I have had public education and health when others have not. It is also this inequality that fuels my belief in the need for more upstream interventions that get at the root causes of poor health, recognizing that behavior change alone is not enough to reduce disparities and achieve equity.

When I came across the Canadian Public Health Association, an organization that promotes engaging with social determinants, it matched my belief that health is a whole lot more than just me myself and I. What we call social determinants of health, that affect your life expectancy, whether you make more or less money for a living, where you can live and what kind of house you can afford are not strictly explored in the data but form the base forces of the effects. This perspective drives me to work with local, community organizations and constituents in creating policies that improve the quality of life for under-served populations.

In addition, the Shanghai Declaration on Health Promotion calls for health to be interconnected with sustainable development. It fits very well with my focus on broad-based health approaches that consider social, economic and environmental considerations. I believe that meaningful work in health equity is not just about providing the needed health care or close monitoring of a pressing medical need but it is also about ensuring policies at all levels support complete and better health.

The self-critical documents placed before the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) describe a series of abusive actions toward Indigenous communities in Canada. Understanding this context is important for reconciliation and advocating for Indigenous rights and cultural revitalization. This historical lens fuels both into my own support and dedication to coming closer than ever to listening as oppose to speaking about what needs done when it comes to health promotion.

My positionality is still anchored in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. In today's world, the principles of health promotion and supporting a healthy environment to enable communities are as relevant today. I know that I want to place these principles at the center of my work, because one thing I am sure of is that we will never create sustainable change without enabling transformation in individual lives.

Therefore, health promotion from my viewpoint is largely dependent on the identity of racialized community I belong to and my experience with privilege. After critically reflecting on where I stand and based on the level of information given in class, I think I will be better equipped to have a conversation with more inclusive groups and help change the system. This act of introspection and doing is critical to addressing the immense injustice in health, and I look forward to this ongoing work with humility and a spirit of partnership.

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                                                     References

Heard, E., Fitzgerald, L., Wigginton, B., & Mutch, A. (2020). Applying intersectionality theory in health promotion research and practice. Health Promotion International, 35(4), 866-876. https://0-doi-org.aupac.lib.athabascau.ca/10.1093/heapro/daz080

Whitehead, M., & Dahlgren, G. (1991). What can be done about inequalities in health? The Lancet, 338(8774), 1059-1063. http://0-search.ebscohost.com.aupac.lib.athabascau.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsfra&AN=edsfra.5026522&site=eds-live

Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples [RCAP] (1996). https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/aboriginal-heritage/royal-commission-aboriginal-peoples/Pages/final-report.aspx