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CREATING HEALTH-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENTS

The Healthy City Movement was established in Europe in 1988 by the World Health Organization based on the philosophy that "health is a state of total physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease" (WHO 1946).

WHO CAPE VERDE

WHO Cape Verde is at the origin of the Cape Verde Healthy Cities Movement and has participated in the creation of the Healthy Cities Implementation Support Unit (UAICS). The technical and institutional collaboration is based:

  • Supporting the transformation of service delivery in cities by establishing partnerships that create new working cultures and strengthen the capacity of municipal institutions and departments to support people-centred services;
  • Reviewing and adapting public health legislation and socialising best practice in order to modernise and strengthen their functions;
  • The global and interactive link between health and local development;
  • The promotion of healthy lifestyles, healthy environments and the development of health services with an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention, in close articulation with the community and community leaders;
  • In mobilising resources, together with the Healthy Cities Movement, for strengthening governance, local and participatory leadership and coordination capacities for health promotion and disease prevention, as vital elements of approaches to improve health and well-being, improve social protection and poverty reduction; community resilience; strengthening social inclusion and cohesion; promoting gender equality, in the current economic context;
  • In identifying the main health determinants and constraints, the health status of all policies and the main health risks (smoking, alcoholism, sedentariness, malnutrition, accidents and violence) for the population as a whole and the main vulnerable populations at risk, as well as the preparation of multisectoral and inter-institutional social responses to the health status of the population in specific territorial areas.
  • In the implementation of universal health coverage, the promotion of health in all life cycles, the preparation, response and recovery of health emergencies, the implementation of local solutions to the effects of climate change on health, the implementation of municipal health plans, from a multi-sectoral and inter-institutional perspective, and the promotion of citizenship in health.

Building Healthy Environments

Conducting monitoring and evaluation is important to follow up the progress achieved by the initiative and identify expected and unexpected results. It is essential that this information is used to rethink and review the initiative's activities.

A public commitment must be established between the municipality, local government (key sectors), the legislature, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector and the community (leaders and representatives of social groups and organizations) to improve the quality of life through the Healthy Cities strategy.

Ensure and strengthen community participation during the planning, implementation and evaluation phases. The Healthy Cities strategy aims to increase community involvement and action and provide a genuine opportunity to strengthen and consolidate democratic processes at the local level, especially through the participation of civil society in deciding on priorities, activities and resource use.

The key is to develop strategic planning to overcome obstacles and threats to the development and maintenance of Healthy Cities. This planning indicates the need to mobilize internal and external resources, provide adequate support, technical cooperation and create healthy spaces to strengthen the Healthy Cities strategy. This participatory and multi-sectoral strategic planning also encourages the decentralization process and should facilitate the development in local communities of skills needed for decision making and resource control.

Building consensus and forming partnerships through various networks and projects, including a wide range of institutions and organizations and other participants with different points of view, both within the health sector itself and with other sectors. The strategy will promote the inclusion of representatives from government, NGOs and the private sector.

Encourage the participation of all social sectors, including the health sector, because many strategies and activities go beyond the resolution capacity of the health sector. At the same time, reorienting health services to include health promotion and disease prevention is a major challenge and opportunity that must be pursued within the context of the strategy. However, the risk of excessive control by the health sector needs to be addressed.

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