Community Development and Health Network (CDHN)

Vision

To work towards ending health inequalities using a community development approach.

Mission

To be the leading organisation championing community development approaches to tackling health inequalities.

To be a centre of expertise that develops best practice, advances knowledge and develops tools for action.

To ensure that communities can define and represent their own health needs and design and implement radical solutions.

Values

We believe that health is a human right.

We believe that our health is affected by more than access to health services, individual lifestyle choices and our own genetic make-up. These other factors can include poverty, the environment, education, living and working conditions, housing, access to food and social and community networks.

When we work collectively for community development in Northern Ireland we make the connection between all of these factors and our health. Collective action is the most effective tool to end health inequalities. CDHN sees coalition building as a crucial part of our approach to ending health inequalities.