The utilization of offered health services is significantly less for families with a socio-economically worse status and / or with a migrant background. As of today, there have only been a few successful solutions to improve access in Austria. New, efficient strategies must be created and tested in order to:
In addition to health care and health preservation, practical health promotion is also in the focus of our work. Through our measures, we want to improve the health of all people living in Austria – independent of education, income and social origin. Our main focus here is on nutrition for pregnant women, nursing mothers and infants. Health should be maintained so that we do not have to first react to the illness (primary prevention). We want to avoid risks, encourage people to eat healthy and allow access to different health services. It is particularly important to us not only to offer scientific health information, but rather to also make this understandable and to prepare it for non-specialists.
In order to allow for the solutions above, not only a clear definition of our goals and our target group is required, but rather effective and efficient measures as well. To do this, we will use proven and high quality measures and also have the courage to innovate, to try out new strategies and simultaneously act in a sustainable manner with a successful implementation. Here we place the greatest value on equal health opportunities and equality.
Based on the principles of health promotion (Ottawa Charta 1986) , ARGEF would like to promote ethnic minorities and families that are economically worse off. The focus here should be on nutrition for pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants and families. New solutions should be developed and research work executed for this purpose. The goal is to close gaps, but also to better understand the complex interaction of different health determinants. Even more information is needed in order to identify the risk factors of sensitive groups and to better understand their motivation, fears and needs.
The promotion of equal health opportunities is always in focus and the following aspects, among others, are considered:
The ARGEF works according to national and international health goals
Our goal is to improve the health of all people living in Austria independent of education, income, social origin. Health should be maintained so that we do not have to first react to the illness (primary prevention).