6.L. Workshop: On the way to health equity – strengthening health promotion governance at local level in Europe

Abstract

Abstract   Health equity is influenced by the local social and physical environment people 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 Joint Action Health Equity Europe focussed on how municipalities can contribute to health promoting and equity-oriented living environments. 17 national, regional and local public health authorities from 13 countries collaborated in this 3-year policy-level project, exchanged knowledge and practices, and implemented actions, tools and policies that promote healthy living environments. The first step in the project was to adopt a common Policy Framework for Action which summarizes the current evidence for healthy living environments and the role of municipalities. It provides a conceptual model for integrated municipal approaches. As a second step in the project, country assessments were conducted. Municipalities have a clear mandate to promote health. However, there is a big heterogeneity in resources, structures and capacities within and between countries. Key challenges are deficits in political commitment, accountability and intersectoral working. Yet, national and regional public health authorities have the potential to contribute a lot to support municipalities, like quality development, providing data, integrating health equity in existing structures, plans and approaches or collaborating with the broad range of existing stakeholders and networks. A synopsis from all the project documents, evaluation and an accompanying research project resulted in the final Policy Recommendations for Healthy Living Environments that this workshop presents, focussing on the following questions: How should health promotion policies be formulated in order to mobilize local action for health? What are the opportunities and barriers for health promotion at local level? How can the experience from JAHEE be integrated into the different structures of municipal health promotion in different countries? The first question will be taken up in the first presentation, presenting the development and contents of the final Policy Recommendations for Healthy Living Environments. The second presentation addresses the opportunities and barriers identified by a Delphi Study that has been conducted in the frame of the project work. The last question around sustainability and transferability of structures will be addressed through a roundtable discussion bringing in the experience from project partners and a local policy-maker. The workshop will give the possibility for stakeholders that were not involved in the Joint Action to inform themselves about the activities in different European countries. The broadening of the audience is also crucial for enhancing awareness of health equity and healthy living environments, increasing the acceptance and dissemination of the policy recommendations at national levels and developing a perspective for future actions. Key messages Municipalities can be the motor to build sustainable and equitable health promotion policies and structures. A common quality process has to be promoted and supported by frameworks, tools and capacity-building across political levels and sectors.