Health marketing is an innovative approach to public health

Public health

Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...

 that applies traditional marketing

Marketing

Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...

 principles and theories alongside science-based strategies to prevention, health promotion and health protection.

A good example is the current drive in Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

 to promote circumcision

Circumcision

Male circumcision is the surgical removal of some or all of the foreskin from the penis. The word "circumcision" comes from Latin and ....

 among communities that do not customarily circumcise. Medical researchers have recently documented that circumcision is 65% effective in preventing HIV

HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...

infection among men.

The marketing strategy would follow the traditional 4 "P's" of marketing namely:

• The "product" in question in this case the surgical procedure.
• The "place" which refers to the access to this procedure.
• "Promotion" refers to creating awareness and hence demand.
• "Price" refers to the cost of the procedure e.g. money, time, reputation etc.