Abstract
This report had three objectives. Firstly, it aimed to review the existing knowledge and analyzed about system, structure, and mechanisms of healthy public policy development in 5 case studies: namely, health promotion policy, healthy child development, anti-tobacco policy, AIDS policy, and anti-Amphetamine drug and its derivatives policy. The cases were both from domestic and international experiences. Secondly, it intended to study about community involvement and participation along policy process in each case. Lastly, structure and mechanisms of development were synthesized and proposed as options for Thailand. Case studies shed light lesson learnt at least in 6 areas as follows: 1) re-organization or re-structure is essential to establish with new health promotion approach in the Ottawa Charter. New management, through the concept as health is cross-cutting issue, would give advantage of working together, co-ordination, and collaboration between and among the sectors, as well as strengthening the communities and people participation. 2) appropriateness and relevancy of policy measures depends on health promotion view of the leader / administer and wherter such measure is based on correct knowledge 3) mechanisms for good health information development and transfer, knowledge establishment, research and development, and monitoring and evaluation are required. 4) Law enactment for health promotion, besides justice purpose, need to be enhanced and law enforcement needs to be strengthened. Paradigm to draft such a law for supporting health promotion activities like Thai Health Promotion Fund have to be changed. 5) As key success factor, health promotion activities are central to have partnership involvement and people participation. therefore, effective management and good information exchange are crucial. Appropriate knowledge transfer and awareness of self and community care would alert and call for impact assessment as well as healthy policy measures and transparent decision-making. 6) The government should act as a collaborator to link each partner to assist people and communities to formulate their action plan for health promotion. In summary, development of health public policy needs to change policy process which enhances all stakeholders involvement and participation. To formulate public policy, policy-makers have to think about the impact that might be happened after implement process. Decision-makers should be responsible for mistakes if negative impact occurs. Therefore, it is required to establish new organization with new health promotion approach and good mechanisms for information and knowledge transfer, as well as monitoring and evaluation process.
