Workshop: Creating healthy living environments in municipalities – European concepts, needs and actions

Abstract

Abstract Health equity is influenced by the local social and physical environment we are living in. Municipalities all over Europe have a key role in shaping and addressing these living conditions. This is why one of the Work packages in the current EU Joint Action Health Equity Europe (JAHEE) deals with the living environment, and what municipalities can contribute to shape them in a health promoting and equity-oriented way. Current action in this field is fragmented, varies highly between and within European countries and strongly depends on political leadership. The Work package aims at providing a systematic and structured support for participating countries in taking action to create healthy living environments. In Work package 6 - Healthy living environments, 17 national and regional public health authorities from 13 countries collaborate to exchange knowledge, practices and implement actions that promote healthy living environments. This workshop aims at bringing together current knowledge and experience of why and how to create healthy living environments on the municipal level. Furthermore, it is supposed to inform what countries currently do and need to do in this field of action from the perspective of national public health institutes and ministries of health. And thirdly, an innovative local example of how to put the theory into practice will be presented. The “Should be”: The first presentation will describe the common conceptual basis for the project partners - the Policy Framework for Action. As was agreed upon among the project partners, the specific focus is a broad community approach towards health promotion that is steered from the municipal level. The “To be”: The second presentation will focus on common European challenges and potentials based on the country assessments that were conducted in the frame of the project, and how municipalities can be supported from the European, national and regional levels. Third and fourth presentations will present more in-depth country reports from Greece and Serbia describing the current capacities and potential for municipal health promotion. The “Good Practice”: The fifth presentation from the Netherlands will present an innovative approach from the City of Utrecht that is implemented in the frame of the Joint Action Health Equity Europe. The findings will be discussed using an interactive online-tool, and finally next steps, future actions and recommendations will be outlined. The workshop will give the possibility for stakeholders that are not currently involved in the Joint Action to inform themselves of the activities on the European level. The broadening of the audience is also crucial for enhancing awareness of health equity and healthy living environments as well as increasing the acceptance of the conceptual framework at national levels. Through exchange of knowledge and experience, potential new partners could be reached and involved in the project. Key messages The workshop brings together current knowledge of why and how European municipalities can create healthy living environments. The workshop presents what European countries currently do and need to do in this field of action.