Health is fundamental to quality & quantity of human life but mostly it is attended after it is impaired. Common man in our society understands health in terms of freedom from apparent illness and demands health in term of free medicines & treatment facilities (felt health needs). But as a medical fact, health is beyond “no illness” concept and that it is a state of complete physical, mental & social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Disease prevention and health promotion are the real approaches to decrease human sufferings and improve wellbeing of the people. Health education aimed at inducing health generating and health promoting attitudes and behaviors is time tested and most cost-effective approach to uplift the health status of the people.

According to US Department of Health and Human Services Report about half of deaths in USA could be attributed to a limited number of largely preventable behaviors and exposures (5). Health scene of our nation reflects that diseases are very frequent across all ages & gender groups, in all sections of the community, and at the same time majority of our population is ignorant to their preventive and promotive health needs. Health statistics of the population rank it below many countries of the region. Recently Pakistan is reported to be highest in new borne mortality in the region (6). As a matter of fact despite great expansions in preventive medical knowledge & technologies, the people are not being benefited at large. Their capacity in protecting & promoting health has not been prioritized for effective interventions. Most budgetary provisions made by the Govt. in health sector go to curative sector without impacting real health solutions of the population. War against people’s health adversities cannot be fought by the traditional health means alone. Albert Einstein said “the solutions of the problems we are facing today cannot be found by the same level of thinking which have created these problems”. We have to think and act different, and better. People may not know their actual health needs but the health scientist. University is place of highest medical wisdom in the area and has liability to serve health needs of people on more scientific & innovative way.

People’s health issues cannot be adequately solved by the health sector without active involvement of the individuals and communities whose health is at stake. Health promotion demands coordinated efforts from all sectors of the society and the people are central to it. Universally, the people have been admitted as the most powerful resource in protecting, maintaining and promoting their health. Earlier
the people were considered as just a target for preventive and therapeutic services. Current trend is to demedicalize the health and involve the people in meaningful ways. This implies active involvement of the families and the communities in matters of health. People should take charge of their own health. It is a scientific fact that people’s health cannot be improved unless the factors which determine their health are improved. Though biologic, economic and environmental conditions are fundamental to health but in the face of resource scarcity, attitude & behavioral aspects of our people towards health have big space for change and would produce immediate benefits if addressed adequately. There is a big list of areas which carry great potential for behavior change & health development.

Practice of modern medicine has become a joint venture of many groups both from medical to non medical settings extending from physicians, nurses, paramedics to community health workers. People’s core abilities itself are an effective & immediate resource to their own health and health of the peoples around. Formal literacy standards should not bar to their involvement in health development process. Use of multidisciplinary public health approach, involvement of all stakeholders of community health and employing community real health needs based interventions is the philosophy behind this (CHTP) initiative.

Following are some ambitious but workable strategies to address three burning public health issues of the community.