Kontakt 2007, 9(2):288-295 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2007.045

National network of healthy citiesHealth and Social Sciences

Markéta Kastnerová^1,2,*, Kvetoslava Kotrbová^1,2,3, Vladimír Vurm¹

¹ Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Zdravotně sociální fakulta, katedra veřejného a sociálního zdravotnictví

² Krajská hygienická stanice Jihočeského kraje se sídlem v Českých Budějovicích

³ Kontaktní a doléčovací centrum pro drogovou závislost, o. s., Háječek, České Budějovice

In 1988, the UNO - World Health Organisation (WHO) initiated an international project healthy city (WHO Healthy Cities Project) with inviting the most important European metropolises. Over fifteen years, 1300 healthy cities, villages and regions in 30 European countries joint the project. The concept of the project has been implemented in the Czech Republic after 1989. The healthy city, village, microregion or region is a prestigious name for a municipality, which was actively included into the international project the healthy city (village, region), under the patronage of the UNO-WHO. In 1994, eleven active cities established an association named the National Network of Healthy Cities of the Czech Republic (NSZM ČR). The NSZM is currently the only municipal association in the Czech Republic having in its statute systematic support of practical implementation of the values such as the sustainable development, health and life quality under conditions of our cities, villages and regions. Since 2003, the association is open in direction of all forms of municipalities. The NSZM ČR has total of 82 members with regional influence on 1207 cities and villages and 2.4 million inhabitants (24% of the Czech population). Basic principles of the programme are supporting the health and life quality of inhabitants, support of the sustainable development and active cooperation of the wide public. The program is based on the document Health 21 and Agenda 21 with close relationships to the strategy of the sustainable development and local program Agenda 21, NEHAP ČR/LEHAP (action plan of the health and environment - national/local). In accordance with the NSZM method, the community planning is based on the community plan - so called "Plan of the health and life quality". The plan is interconnected with the strategic plan of the municipality and further important documents and also with the city budget to provide their parallel contribution to the system strategic development. Healthy cities, villages and regions thoughtfully try to form the city (village, region) as a quality and pleasant place for the life.

Keywords: Healthy city; national network of healthy cities; strategy of sustainable development; Health 21, local Agenda 21; NSZM

Received: September 8, 2007; Accepted: October 12, 2007; Published: December 21, 2007  Show citation