What is a network ? What makes a health promoting schools network ?

Abstract

Networking and networks, are words often used by those in health promotion to describe the scope of the work they are developing. The notion of networks for health promotion gained currency in the '80s and '90s, following the launch of the WHO Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, which provided a health promotion definition, directions through settings approaches and five action areas. The WHO promulgated the approach from which grew a range of health promotion networks including schools, hospitals, cities, workplaces, villages and universities. Not all of them were instigated by the WHO, but the organisation lead the field.