Originally published in healthmatters issue 38, Autumn 1999, page 24
Health Promotion Officer
Mid-Western Health Board
Ireland
Letter
Can professionals promote democratic action?
Dear healthmatters — OK, I’ll take the bait...The issues raised by David Seedhouse (Health promoters must be unprofessional, issue 37) are already well-known.
I wrote on most of these points myself twenty years ago (‘The Health Education Officer: a mythical character?’, Health Education Journal, 1980), and I would be amazed if anyone outside of health promotion finds them of any interest.
The central assertion of the article is that health promotion workers can’t be professional and promote democratic action.Why not let us try?
Brian NeesonHealth Promotion Officer
Mid-Western Health Board
Ireland
