The WHO European Healthy Cities Network met in Copenhagen

The city of Copenhagen, Denmark hosted this year’s meeting of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and the Network of European National Healthy Cities Networks on 4-6 April 2016. Turkish Healthy Cities Association, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, Gölcük Municipality, Yalova Municipality, Çankaya Municipality and Kadıköy Municipality attended the meeting from Turkey.

The main objectives of the meeting were to introduce the network to regional directorates and WHO Regional Office for Europe, and to make the works of Regional Office clear for everyone; discuss future visions of the networks, to increase the effectiveness of synergy of WHO Regional Office for Europe and the networks to work together in competence, to support the increasing implementations, to enhance the capacity and know-how of the networks; to enable the coordinators of national networks and WHO European Healthy Cities Network come together, and encourage them to create a network and to improve the relations between coordinators; to provide coordinators with technical opinion and trainings on priority issues improving such as mental health, physical activity, immigration, health inequalities and European Regional Strategy on Women’s Health; to enable European Healthy Cities Network legitimize the requirements generated as results of Annual Business and Technical Conference.

At the meeting which was held also aiming at introducing new members of staff of World Health Organization Office of Healty Cities to the coordinators, bringing the national and metropolitan coordinators of WHO Regional Office for Europe and employees of Regional Directorate and Regional Office together, increasing the workstream of Regional Office, easing the prospective transition period of Health Cities, discussing the current situation, shaping the Network’s future and implementation of Phase 6 and enhancing the effectiveness of work synergy of European Regional Office; the first speaker was the Director of World Health Organization European Healthy CitiesNetwork – Monika Kosinska.

At her welcome speech, Monika Kosinska gave priority to the participants‘ getting to know each other, the goals of the meeting and draft program of the meeting. Asking their expectations on the meeting, Monika Kosinska gave the floor to the attendees. Following the part that the participants who took the floor have expressed their expectations, the acquiantance session for the attendees and employees of World Health Organization European Healthy Cities Network was realized.

Following Monika Kosinska’s speech, the first day of the meeting which was designed and held in 6 sections, there took place general discussions on issues such as opening consultations with Regional Directorate, political analysis, health governance and soundness, non-communicable diseases, life course health improvement, knowledge analysis, researches, evidence and innovation, communicable diseases and health safety, health system analysis and public health.

And during the 2 nd day of the meeting which consisted of 5 sections, the subject headings dwellt on were researches on immigration and health, researches on mental health for healthy cities, to increase physical activities, to carry the policies on physical activity into execution, and European Regional Strategy on Women’s Health. At the end of the day, there had been a group action among the participants under the title of preparations for the closing session with Regional Directorates. In the group action, things to do in order that the communication within the network to be strengthened were discussed. As at the end of the day Monika Kosinska expressed her gratitudes to all of the attendees for attending and for their contributions, the 2 nd day of the meeting ended up.

And at the 3 rd day of the meeting that was held under the title of Annual Meeting of National Network Coordinators of World Health Organization European Healthy Cities Network, some of the subject headings dwellt on were key messages and discussions on the WHO meeting, annual report, newsletter and communication of the national networks, the opportunities for procuring potential fund, reports and evaluations, discussions on other issues. Also, under the title of recent issues on the agenda of national networks, 12 National Network coordinators made presentations on the mentioned subject. The presentations dwellt on each National Network’s recent works and prospective activities, in general. National Network Coordinators of Finland, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Russia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Sweden, Lithuania and Turkey gave their presentations onthe relevant subject. From Turkey, Director of Healthy Cities Association – Murat Ar shared recent works and future activities of Healthy Cities Association in the fields of health and city. After all of the presentations of National Network Coordinators ended up, the Annual Meeting of National Network Coordinators of World Health Organization European Healthy Cities Network was adjourned by general commentaries and evaluations on the meeting.