Canadian Armed Forces Military Personnel Instruction 03/05 – Health Promotion

1. Identification

Date of Issue: 2005-03-29

Date of Modification: 2024-12-01

Application: This Canadian Armed Forces Military Personnel Instruction (CAFMPI) applies to officers and non-commissioned members (NCMs) of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

Supersession:

• NDHQ Policy Directive P 2/95, Health Promotion in the Canadian Forces and the Department of National Defence
• CANFORGEN 035/94, Health Promotion in DND
• CANFORGEN 121/02, Launch of Strengthening the Forces (STF)

Approval Authority: Chief of Military Personnel (CMP)

Enquiries: Administrative Response Centre (ARC)

2. Definitions

Heath (Santé)

A state of physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Health is a positive resource for meeting the challenges of daily living (not the objective of living). Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities. 

Health Promotion (Promotion de la santé)

The process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health. To reach a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social wellbeing, an individual or a group must be able to identify and realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment.

3. Abbreviations

Abbreviations Table

4. Policy Direction

Policy Statement

4.1 As part of health services, DND is committed to the provision of comprehensive Health Promotion (HP) programming for the CAF.

Context

4.2 Good health is essential both to the well-being of CAF members and to the operational effectiveness of the CAF. The CAF is committed to HP as both an organizational and an individual responsibility by providing the environment, tools and information to enhance health and reduce or eliminate high-risk behaviors among CAF members.

Work Environment Influences Individuals' Health Choices

4.3 The CAF recognizes that health promotion is equally the responsibility of the CAF leadership, the individual, and the health services community. While responsibility for achieving and maintaining health rests ultimately with the individual, the organizational and work environments have a marked influence on the individual's health choices.

Support by the Chain of Command

4.4 Support by the chain of command is an essential component of the HP capability in the CAF. In particular, commanders and senior management must take an active part in creating a climate that encourages healthy policies, practices and behavior.

Health Promotion must be Comprehensive

4.5 To be successful, HP initiatives must be inclusive of community members and be developed in synergy with the immediate working and personal environment. CAF HP programs will strive to build healthy public policy, create supportive environments for health, strengthen CAF community action, develop personal skills, and contribute to reorienting health services.

5. Requirements

Maintenance of Health is Everyone's Responsibility

5.1 Leaders at all levels and individual members are responsible for the maintenance of their personal health, for emphasizing the importance of good health to achieving CAF goals, and for encouraging healthy practices.

Adaptation to Environments

5.2 CAF HP activities will adapt to the special features of each environment.

Scope of Health Promotion

5.3 CAF HP will not include counselling, treatment or rehabilitation.

6. Authority

Authority Table

6.1 The table below identifies the authorities for implementing this policy:

7. References

Acts, Regulations, Central Agency Policies and Associated DAOD

• N/A

Other References

• ADM (HR-Mil) Instruction (Draft), Health Promotion Implementation
• Project Charter DSP Project 00000297 Rx2000 Quality Health Care Delivery to the Canadian Forces, October 2000
• Synopsis Sheet (Effective Project Approval) 00000297 Rx2000 - Force Health Protection Initiative, March 2001
• Health Promotion Declaration for the Defence Team in DND, 12 May 1994
• Concept for the CAF Health Protection Capability (March 2001)
• Service Level Arrangement between Rx2000 Project Management Office, Director General Health Services (DGHS) and Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency (CAFPSA) concerning implementation and steady state services and costs for the Canadian Forces Health Promotion Program, 31 March 2004
• 1947 World Health Organization definition of health, as quoted in Pederson, O'Neill and Rootman (1994), “Health perspectives”, pg. 58, W.B. Saunders, Toronto
• World Health Organization, “Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion”, Canadian Public Health Association, Ottawa, 1986