ABSTRACT
The World Health Organization’s original strategy for health promotion was developed in the mid-1980s and articulated in the Ottawa Charter of 1986 (WHO 1984, 1986). After more than a decade it is time to take stock and ask how the latest developments and scientific findings can help take the whole issue of health promotion forward into the twenty-first century. The major stimulus for this review comes from the accumulated evidence that conditions have changed dramatically in Europe since the mid-1980s. It has become imperative to assess the new circumstances and ask what kind of health promotion strategy is needed to deal most effectively with the emerging issues.
