The terms health promotion and health education are sometimes confused. Both are strategies aimed at improving the public health, but while the concepts are complementary they are not synonymous.

Health promotion involves the empowerment of the community in improving its health through education, through the provision of preventive health service and by improvement of the social, physical and economic environments.

Health education is the empowerment of individuals through increased knowledge and understanding, but does not involve the political advocacy nessesary in health promotion.

The health strategies that emerged during the 19th century were in some ways similar to those that we now term health promotion. Thus, Medical Officers of health worked for local authorities with the aim of improving the environment, encouraging healthy public policies, introducing preventive strategies (e.g sanitation and vaccination) and encouraging better health through education. Another step in the development of health promotion was the Peckham Pioneer Health Centre project, which began in south London in the 1930s. It provided conventional health care and health education together within an environment that supported community development through the provision of recreational and sports facilities.