“The Hidden Cities: Addressing Equity in Health and Inclusiveness in Cities”

The second annual business meeting of the World Health Organisation European Healthy Cities network was held 17-19 June in Sandnes, Norway. 

Active lifestyles support health and wellbeing, and in particular help prevent obesity. Our daily living environment can help encourage physical activity, and . This lecture explored how our daily living environment can encourage active living and healthy, socially inclusive communities and outlined some of the key challenges.

As the election approaches we have written to each of the local political parties setting out what we regard as our two key issues going forward:

Belfast Healthy Cities has launched a publication entitled “Healthy Places: Strong Foundations” to mark World Health Day which takes place today. (7th April). Belfast Healthy Cities wants to highlight that Belfast, as a leading WHO European Healthy City, should be asking questions like ‘How does the way we build our environment affect our wellbeing?’ and ‘Can our living conditions improve our health as well as our economy?’

The Health and Health Equity in All Local Policies lecture series event was launched in late February by Michael McGimpsey MLA, Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety. The first lecture focused on experience of a Health in All Policies approach in South Australia, which is broadly similar in population structure and size as Northern Ireland.

Professor Sir Michael Marmot, UCL Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, international expert on inequalities in health and chair of the World Health Organization's Commission on the Social Determinants of Health, delivered Belfast Healthy Cities’ 21^st anniversary lecture on Thursday 8 October 2009 in the Great Hall, Queens University Belfast.

Climate Change and Health Group (2009-2013)

In November 2009, Belfast Healthy Cities established in partnership with the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) a Climate Change and Health Group (CCHG) with the aim of identifying and addressing the health and health equity impacts of climate change.

WHO Secretariat

Having previously assisted the Copenhagen and Zagreb offices with preparations for the 2008 International Healthy Cities Conference in Zagreb, Croatia, the Belfast Healthy Cities office was officially announced as Secretariat for the European Healthy Cities Network in May 2009.

Following the success of the re-designation of Belfast to WHO Phase V, European Healthy Cities Network, the Chair and Director met with the Lord Mayor, Councillor Naomi Long and Dr Eddie Rooney, Chief Executive, Public Health Agency to commemorate the occasion. 

A meeting of the UK Healthy Cities Network was held in Belfast on 7 October.  The main item on the agenda was the terms of reference for the establishment of a UK Healthy Cities National Network.

Belfast Healthy Cities’ first training programme on ‘Healthy environments: healthy lives’ takes place over five days between March – June 2009. The programme builds on previous successful training programmes, and he work of the World Health Organization (WHO)Commission on the Social Determinants of Health.

 In preparation for the submission of the city’s full application to WHO, the Lord Mayor hosted a Phase V workshop in Malone House on Tuesday 25 November 2008  for Chief Executives, senior officers from public agencies and government departments and Belfast Healthy Cities Board of Directors.

Speaking at the launch of the profile, the Health Minister said that the profile showed that some important health improvements have been achieved in the Belfast Trust area over the last decade.   

The event explored further the role of the health sector in addressing the health impacts of climate change and health.