Title: Rapid appraisal of the health promotion needs of the Hillbrow Community, South Africa

Authors: Helen Lewis, Michael Rudolph, Leroy White

Addresses: School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa. School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa. Faculty of Health, South Bank University, 103 Borough Rd, London, SE1 0AA, UK

Abstract: Traditional approaches to health needs assessment tend not to involve local communities and can result in services that have little relevance to local health needs. If health policy is aimed at improving the health status of individuals as well as communities it is important that lifestyle, social networks and the environment, as well as human biology and healthcare provision, are emphasised. This paper addresses the health promotion needs of the population of Hillbrow, an inner city area in Johannesburg, South Africa. The purpose of the study was to profile the needs and priorities in the Hillbrow community and to make recommendations for future health promotion activities within the community. This paper focuses on the use of rapid appraisal to involve a marginalised community.

Keywords: health promotion; needs assessment; rapid appraisal; community involvement; South Africa.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2003.003338

International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, 2003 Vol.5 No.1/2, pp.20 - 33

Published online: 28 Aug 2003 *

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