Tainan Healthy City Association and Daan Health Promotion Association awarded for innovation in Healthy Cities by the Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC)
April, 2008 --- Accumulation of years of experiences of Healthy Cities allowed AFHC members to share innovations made through the development of individual healthy cities. 40 proposals from 19 cities and 2 organizations were submitted for AFHC Awards for Healthy Cities 2007 and carefully reviewed by the Award Committee of the Alliance for Healthy Cities. For the year 2007, awards in the following three categories were presented.
Award for innovation in monitoring and evaluation of Healthy Cities
Monitoring and evaluation is based on explicit standards drawing on local and global evidence that fits the local context. This award recognized well-described processes of monitoring and evaluation of Healthy Cities supported by data reflecting improvement. The indicators cover the broad objectives of a Healthy City and can help the city set priority areas. The awardees represent various approaches of the process of developing innovative Healthy City programs. This year, 4 cities received this award. They are: the City of Suzhou for its evaluation of Healthy Gardens; Jinju City for its process of monitoring and evaluation of Healthy Cities initiatives; Marikina City for its evaluation and monitoring as a process of the Citys annual planning; and Tainan Healthy City Association for its evaluation of Healthy City Tainan 2003-2006.
Award for innovation in effective media involvement for Healthy Cities
Media involvement needs to be creative and innovative rather than just expanding the coverage of health. This award recognized projects with the effect of motivating citizens to adopt particular health behavior in habitual ways and raising awareness among citizens to the Healthy City approach, healthy lifestyles, and health supportive environments. A social-marketing strategy was introduced in some projects to promote health. Three cities received this award this year. They are: Gangnam District, Seoul for its telemedicine to improve health care access for the marginalized in communities; Jinju City for its social marketing approach to encourage active living by involving various stakeholders; and Seoul Metropolitan Government for its working with media to reduce injury among children.
Award for innovation in public and private partnership for Healthy Cities
Health-promoting activities as new industries have been shown to stimulate a local economy. There are new scheme of public fund-management by involvement of business sectors in developing infrastructure, facilities, and management system for programs and services of Healthy Cities. Governments may take the initiative in fund-matching. Sponsorship from enterprises is possible for supporting activities of Healthy Cities. In many Healthy Cities, partnerships among government sectors, community organizations, non-profit local and international organizations, and business sectors were widely emphasized. This award was given in recognition of bringing benefits to a wider population group with activities matching that groups daily lives or development of health-supportive environments. Attention was paid to involve business sectors in activities for health promotion and health equity. The variation of public and private partnerships exhibited by the awardees reflected the diversity in developing organizational partnerships among countries and regions of AFHC members. This year, 11 cities received this award according to their presentation of various partnerships. These cities were: Changshu City for its advanced multilateral cooperation to optimize fitness services; the City of Suzhou for a charity project with High Morality to secure health care for patients with uremia; Zhangjiagang City for its care for cataract patients to brighten their eyes and souls with love and its aim of a cataract-free city; Ichikawa City for its environment ordinance to promote partnership of citizens, businesses and municipal government; Owariasahi City for city development of the residents, by the residents, for the residents and land readjustment associations; Gangnam District, Seoul for building a sports complex through a build-transfer-lease partnership scheme; Geumsan County for Lets go together!, which is a project where a local business association supports a healthy school; Seongbuk District, Seoul for its health monitoring and evaluation system for the needy using its ubiquitous healthcare system; Las Pinas City for its partnerships with non-profit corporations for the delivery of better nutrition; Marikina City for its partnerships with various local and international stakeholders in promotion of a Healthy City; and Daan Health Promotion Association for its sponsorship from the private sector for a Healthy City.
Resource: Secretariat of the Alliance for Healthy Cities c/o WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Cities and Urban Policy Research;
http://www.alliance-healthycities.com/