Two regions - Liberec Region and Pilsen Region entered the Healthy Cities of the Czech Republic in this year's summer. The association also accepted new cities - the statutory city of Opava and also the cities and towns of Breclav, Klatovy, Dacice, Karlovice and Okrisky. These new regions and cities will surely bring interesting experience and inspiration to the current Healthy Cities and Regions.

In terms of long-term promotion of health of its inhabitants, Liberec Region has an exceptional standing within the whole CZ Republic. As early as in 2002, it was the first CZ region to adopt the Liberec Region Health Policy and introduction of its objectives in the practice is considered very successful. The output lies in a detailed knowledge of its inhabitants' health condition, which is regularly published and presented by the region to the lay and professional public in a form of so called "Health Report".

The entry of Pilsen Region among others follows the time-tested collaboration with local action groups that primarily represent the interests of smaller municipalities. Pilsen Region has been also preparing closer collaboration with the department of regional development, which is in charge of the Healthy Region Project, with other regional office departments, but also with external partners, such as regional hygiene station, chamber of commerce and agrarian chamber or non-governmental organisations of all kinds.

Healthy Cities introduced themselves at the seminar that took place on June 6 in the parliament senate under the auspices of senator Milan Pesak, member of the senate committee for health and social policy. The seminar took place in collaboration with WHO office in the Czech Republic, Ministry of Health and Healthy Cities of the Czech Republic. The topics of the seminar, attended by more than 60 participants, included e.g. the expected demographic development that anticipates ageing of the population, the importance of physical activities, injury prevention, support of voluntary services or announcement of year 2012 as the year of active ageing and solidarity between generations.

The secretary for health care, Mr Vitezslav Vavrousek was substituted by the director of the health-social services department of the Ministry of Health, Mrs Ludmila Vostrakova. The presenters included e.g. CZ WHO office director Alena Steflova, director of civil association Zivot 90 Jan Lorman or representatives of the Institute of Health Information and Statistics or National Institute of Public Health.

Specific examples from the Healthy Cities were introduced by HCCZ director Petr Svec. HCCZ has been dealing with the issue of healthy and active ageing for a number of years, monitoring best practice of its members and promoting tried and tested procedures not only in the CZR but also abroad. Currently there is being prepared a publication that offers the possibilities and examples of how to care for the seniors in the municipalities and what to offer to this group. Seniors' health condition indicators and their comparison in individual regions form the subject of another project realised by HCCZ in collaboration with WHO office in Prague.

The activities of Chrudim, which already belongs among Healthy Cities for 10 years, were presented by the mayor Petr Reznicek, who is also the first vice-chairman of HCCZ. "The city Chrudim supports a number of activities dedicated to solidarity between generations and activities intended directly for seniors, such as University of the Third Age, various forms of work therapy and seniors' sports games. The city also provides financial support to these activities in a form of grants and subsidies. The seniors of Chrudim also participate in the activities related to urban development, those interested from the ranks of seniors participate in the planning processes and public discussions, opening ceremonies of the reconstructed locations in the city and other events," said the mayor Petr Reznicek. Chrudim city among others received the Prize of the Ministry of Health for the care dedicated to the seniors' quality of life in 2008.

Presentation for download and photographs from the event are available here.

What are the possibilities of collaboration and systematic approach in the field of health? Why and how to create municipal or regional health plan and what specific time-tested procedures to use? Another thematic section of the National Healthy Cities Network, which is to take place on October 6, 2011 in Prague at Novotného lávka, will give you answers to these and other questions connected with the health support issue. Seminar titled "Planning for Health in Municipalities and Regions" will offer methods and experience from the practice and the attendants will find out more about the tools or activities they can use for their work.

The seminar is intended in particular for representatives of local governments (politicians and office workers etc.) and all those interested from the ranks of expert or lay public.

More information is available here.