Health Promotion Forum

Expanding health promotion at the sub-national level: a focus on the Regions for Health Network (RHN) and its members

Moderator: Mrs Solvejg Wallyn, Policy Coordinator, International Affairs, Agency for Care and Health, Flanders (Belgium)

Speakers

• Dr Bettina Menne, (WHO Euro, RHN coordinator): RHN initiatives in promoting health and well-being. Lessons learnt from region’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
• ANDALUSIA (Spain): Mr Pablo García-Cubillana, Coordinator of the Andalusian Plan for Healthy Living, Regional Ministry of Health and Families of Andalusia (Spain)
• EU Meus-Rhine Region (Belgium, Netherlands, Germany), Mrs Brigitte van Der Zanden, Director of the euPrevent Foundation
• NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA (Germany):  Dr Odile Mekel (Nordrhein Westphalie, NRW Centre for Health – LZG.NRW)
• WALES (United Kingdom), Mr Andrew Charles, Deputy Director for Sustainable Futures in Welsh Government

Organized by Regions for Health Network, WHO EURO

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that public health, mental health and well-being should be equally promoted in responding to a crisis, and that they are necessary to reach out to vulnerable groups with an equitable response. RHN would like to seize this momentum and reflect on how to best promote positive outcomes/processes in some RHN regions, moving towards a more equitable society­. Since regions and local authorities have been at the forefront of the response to the pandemic, they have learned first-hand how comprehensive planning and multi-sectoral strategies are necessary to promote healthy environments in their communities. By presenting and discussing a variety of solution-based initiatives undertaken in Regions for Health to promote health and well-being, it is expected that participants acquire new knowledge and understanding about how subnational authorities can play an important role both in the design and implementation of policies in these fields.