Goals of health education

We can classify the goals of health education in two components: educational goal and ultimate goal.

A. Educational Goal of Health Education

There are many types of objectives in health education depending on the stage and/or level of interventions. The following are broad educational objectives of health education:

• To provide appropriate knowledge: provision of correct knowledge, facts and information (e.g. Facts about HIV/AIDS).
• To help develop a positive attitude: This has a lot to do with changing opinions, feelings and beliefs of people (e.g. to develop a positive attitude towards the practice of HIV/AIDS prevention behaviours such as condom use).
• To help exercise health practice/behaviour: This is concerned with helping people in decision-making and performing (e.g. helping people choosing alternatives, whether to abstain, be faithful, or use a condom).
• Help in decision-making: This means choosing between and/or among alternatives in the future about health. Health education has top importance to help people develop the skill of decision-making.
• Help in social change: Changing the physical and/or social environment so that people are encouraged to adopt a healthier behaviour.

B. Ultimate Goal of Health Education

The ultimate goal of all health professionals including HEWs is to improve the status of the community and their quality of life. To that end, the goal of health education is to promote, maintain and improve individuals and the community health. In simple words, the ultimate goals of health education are:

• To help each exercise the right to achieve a harmonious development of the physical, mental and social health.
• To promote health, prevent illness, self-adjust to live with disabilities and decrease morbidity and mortality.