Healthy Cities National Network of Türkiye Gathers in İzmir

The 42nd Ordinary Assembly Meeting of Healthy Cities National Network of Türkiye was hosted by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. The host Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and the President of Healthy Cities National Network of Türkiye Dr. Cemil Tugay, member mayors, council members, advisory board members, healthy cities project coordinators and municipal representatives attended the meeting.

Before the opening speeches, Healthy Cities Network Director of World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, Kira Fortune addressed the Association members via video recording. Fortune congratulated Mayor Tugay and the member mayors who were elected after the local elections and said, “The growth of your network to include more than 17 new municipalities, bringing the number to 151, is a testament to your dedication and determination to create healthier and more sustainable cities. Healthy city coordinators – your role is more critical than ever. You are at the heart of transforming health policies into action, ensuring that well-being is at the center of urban planning and city management. Your focus on issues such as substance use, mental health and aging, in addition to one health, climate change, water management and energy efficiency, are in line with global priorities. These are urgent issues for all cities globally and your proactive approach is inspiring.”

In the opening speech of the meeting, President Tugay shared data on public health graphs and climate change in the world and Türkiye and said, “We will celebrate the 101st anniversary of our Republic. Our Republic is the most important work of our noble nation. This country is entrusted to us with everything. The most valuable thing is the health of the people of this country. As Healthy Cities National Network of Türkiye, we have very important duties. Therefore, let’s work and carry this beautiful country entrusted to us forward all together.”

“Life cannot continue like this”

Mayor Tugay said, “In the coming years, as Healthy Cities Network of Türkiye, we will take decisions to be more active in order to ensure a healthier environment and a healthier society in Türkiye. We set out to increase the number of our members, but on the other hand, we set out to actively involve more of our members in the works and to spread the works to the grassroots with practices. Today’s ordinary assembly meeting is a day that we can also consider as the beginning of the next period. I would like to present a chart. We are in the year 2024. When we look at the graphs, we see how average temperatures have been rising all over the world, especially after 1980. If we continue like this, the average temperature of the world will increase by 4.9 degrees by the end of this century. I would like to express that this is a disaster. It is not possible for life to continue on earth in a healthy way with such a temperature increase. There is also a lack of precipitation. It is calculated that it decreases by 15 percent on average annually. If it continues like this, by the end of the century, 65 percent of 365 days we live, will be hot days and very rainy days will be 30 percent more on average. In other words, we are talking about the days with floods.”

“More than 92 percent of the population breathes polluted air”

President Tugay expressed that “according to the graphs, there is an increase in the frequency and intensity of dry days and a decrease in the frequency and intensity of wet days at the end of the century” and continued his words as follows: “In terms of air pollution, only 4 provinces in Türkiye breathe healthy air. When we look at this chart, we need to know that almost all of Türkiye experiences serious air pollution problems and serious health problems. More than 92 percent of the population breathes polluted air. The share of fossil fuels in the first energy supply is 82.8 percent. The share of coal in electricity generation is 34.6 percent. In other words, one third of electricity is generated by coal. 14.2 percent of deaths over the age of 30, excluding accidents, injuries and covid, are caused by air pollution. This rate is higher compared to previous years.”

“Emphasis on food strategy”

President Tugay stated that both the world and Türkiye have a demographically older population, and said: “With increasing temperatures, 5.2 out of 100 thousand people die due to air temperature. In 2080, this rate is calculated to rise to 62 percent. In addition to climate change, temperature increase and drought, there is a problem of access to food and food security. There is a decline in food production due to the climate crisis. We all need to have strategic plans for food production and consumption in the cities where we live. Very few municipalities in Türkiye have prepared an Urban Food Document. Urban food production can be one of the important goals. We need to remember that being healthy is not a personal condition or choice. It is the result of the living conditions that society provides individuals. Health is a right in itself and one of the most important components of the rights of city dwellers is to live in a healthy environment. Local governments support well-being and health is a right for local governments. Therefore, we can find solutions for problems. We are planning to increase the number of members of our advisory board in the next period and work under their guidance. We will establish commissions. In the coming months, we want to organize thematic meetings in different cities every two or three months. We will listen to presentations made by experts and organizations. We plan to come up with some action plans in this way. Both the meetings and all the ways which our Association chooses to communicate will provide an opportunity to share knowledge and experience and to observe on site. We will organize training programs. We will make good practices apparent and reward them.” Mayor Tugay said that “Good Practice Examples From Türkiye and The World” publication can be accessed with the QR codes on the cards left on the seats of the participants and that this publication will be delivered to the municipalities in printed form in the near future.

“After the opening speech, the 42nd Ordinary Assembly Meeting started”

Closing Ankara office of the Association, opening an office in İzmir, renting an office in Bursa, the record of the last meeting, 2025 budget and 2025 performance program of the Association, member municipalities leaving the Association, new member municipalities joining the Association, the new logo of the Association, information about WHO European Healthy Cities Network Political Board Meeting and the location of the next assembly meeting were approved by the council members.

“The number of member municipalities reached 151”

New member applications were also discussed. The membership applications of 20 municipalities including Ataşehir Municipality, Bayraklı Municipality, Beydağ Municipality, Bornova Municipality, Buca Municipality, Bulancak Municipality, Çeşme Municipality, Çiğli Municipality, Espiye Municipality, Foça Municipality, Gaziemir Municipality, Giresun Municipality, Hopa Municipality, Karabağlar Municipality, Karaburun Municipality, Kemalpaşa Municipality, Kiraz Municipality, Menderes Municipality, Narlıdere Municipality and Seferihisar Municipality were unanimously accepted. Thus, the number of member municipalities reached 151. The new logo of the Association which was selected first in the competition, was approved by the council members. It was decided to organize the next meeting hosted by Bahçelievler Municipality in İstanbul.

“Working groups will be established”

After the assembly meeting, a panel discussion was organized under the moderation of the Deputy Secretary General of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, Prof. Dr. Pınar Okyay. The Secretary General of Healthy Cities National Network of Türkiye, Murat Ar made a speech on “The Structure of the Association, Current Activities and New Targets”. Murat Ar stated that studies are being made to increase the capacity of member municipalities, and mentioned about the city health profile training given to the healthy cities project coordinators, and added that working groups will be established on topics such as water management, energy efficiency, substance abuse, food health, old age and autism, climate change, global warming, disaster and earthquake. Murat Ar reminded that the Healthy Cities Best Practices Competition will be held in 2025 and said that the annual business meeting and technical conference of World Health Organization (WHO) Healthy Cities Network will be held in Bursa in 2025 and invited member municipalities.

“İzmir example for one health”

The President of İzmir Planning Agency, Prof. Dr. Koray Velibeyoğlu spoke about “One Health Approach in Municipal Strategic Plans: İzmir Example” at the panel. Velibeyoğlu gave information about the concept of one health and its operationalization and reminded that the concept of one health consists of three components: human, environment and animal health. Velibeyoğlu gave examples from Old Age Action Plan, Stray Dog Population Action Plan of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and Forest Fire Emergency Action Plan for municipalities and stated that “We need to consider the economic components while operationalizing so that we can establish a positive relationship between health and welfare.”

 “There is so much we can do”

The moderator of the panel, the Deputy Secretary General of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, Prof. Dr. Pınar Okyay said the following in response to the questions of the Association members: “People in Türkiye apply to outpatient clinics for treatment 13 times a year. 2 out of every 3 applications are to secondary or tertiary institutions, not primary care. In other words, they apply 13 times and cannot find a solution. In such a case, we can get rid of 1 in 5 of blood pressure deaths only with an intervention we can make about blood pressure, an awareness raising or blood pressure measurement support units established by local governments and interventions to increase health literacy to improve the quality of life. This is very important something, there is so much we can do. This is the field that local governments should take responsibility. We need to take responsibility of this. Currently, the rate of unmet need for family planning is 18 percent. This togetherness is very important. We are in a period that can make a difference. Because there is a great need for public health practices.”