Health Promotion in Asia-Pacific: Evidence Base for Good Practice?

Abstract

The practice of health promotion in the Asia-Pacific Region has evolved from health education to a settings-based approach. Increasingly, health promotion approaches are being applied to an ever wider range of health issues. Despite substantial developments across many countries, the evidence base for good practice in the Region has been slow to develop. This reflects both resourcing limitations as well as low connectivity between researchers, practitioners and policy-makers. The vastly different cultures, languages, population groups and geographies call for greater understanding of the context-specific nature of health promotion interventions and offer tremendous opportunity for further knowledge generation and dissemination. A more robust evidence base, focused on current and emerging challenges, will serve all stakeholders well in garnering the necessary funding and resources for well-designed interventions.