In the current demographic conditions, the issue of preserving public health can be considered the most pressing.
Health and well-being are key factors for economic and social development and are of great importance in the life of every person, for every family, and for the entire community as a whole. The formation of a healthy nation is a factor of national security and the main task of the state social policy in Belarus.
The most important goal of the state in the field of healthcare is to reduce the incidence of diseases, the spread of which poses the main threat to the health of citizens and national security.
Good health and the absence of bad habits for the population of Belarus are the main indicators of human well-being.
In the Republic of Belarus, as in other countries of the world, non-communicable diseases have become the main cause of high mortality and economic losses due to resulting disability and healthcare costs.
A nationwide study of the prevalence of major risk factors for non-communicable diseases conducted in Belarus in 2016–2017 showed that more than 40 percent of the population have three or more of the five main health risk factors (daily smoking, low consumption of fruits and vegetables, physical inactivity, overweight, and high blood pressure).
In this regard, the importance of prevention is increasing as a system of measures aimed at eliminating the causes and conditions that cause diseases, creating a health-saving environment for life, and fostering motivation for a healthy lifestyle among the population.
This can be achieved by increasing the efficiency of interdepartmental interaction, updating measures for the preservation and strengthening of public health, taking into account all aspects of territorial sustainable development (economy, land use planning, architecture and construction, industry, transport, energy, housing and communal services, public movement, etc.).
"Healthy Cities" is a WHO project that has been developing since 1988 and implements the principles of the UN "Health for All" strategy and the European health policy "Health 2020".
In the Republic of Belarus, the "Healthy Cities" project was launched in 2012, and its development is envisaged in the state program "People's Health and Demographic Security of the Republic of Belarus for 2016-2020". The Ministry of Health, regional executive committees, and the Minsk City Executive Committee have been designated as responsible executors for the implementation of the "Healthy Cities" project in the republic.
In the Address of the President of the Republic of Belarus Lukashenko A.G. to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly of April 19, 2019, the task was set to implement the state preventive project "Healthy Cities and Settlements" and to create a national network.
The implementation of the state preventive project "Healthy Cities and Settlements" will ensure the achievement of medico-demographic sustainability of the territory, the implementation of state policy on disease prevention and the formation of a healthy lifestyle, and the development of healthcare.
A healthy city is a city that continuously creates and improves its physical and social environment and organizes its resources in such a way that people can help each other to improve their lives and realize their full potential.
The project's objective is to ensure public health as a top priority of urban policy and the residents' own awareness, and the approaches embedded in this project allow for successfully addressing public health improvement issues in the urban environment across almost all social aspects.
The essence of the "Healthy Cities" project lies in its organizational model of new relationships between existing urban structures – the city administration, business circles, public associations, and the population directly – within the framework of joint activities aimed at improving the health of the population and living environment, increasing physical activity, organizing healthy eating, and preventing harmful habits.
Thus, it is about creating a city that lives by the principle of a healthy lifestyle, where the population is responsible for its own health and the health of others, and where conditions exist for maintaining and strengthening health.
In accordance with the Plan of Key Measures for the Implementation of the State Preventive Project "Healthy Cities and Towns," approved by the protocol of the meeting of the Interdepartmental Council for the Formation of a Healthy Lifestyle, Control of Non-Communicable Diseases, Prevention and Prophylaxis of Drunkenness, Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, and Consumption of Tobacco Raw Materials and Tobacco Products under the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No. 2 dated October 30, 2019, the town of Miory has been identified as a settlement with potential for the implementation of the "Healthy Cities and Towns" project.
Therefore, by the order of the Miory District Executive Committee No. 358r dated November 27, 2019, a district group for managing the implementation of the "Healthy Cities and Towns" project has been established.
PROJECT GOAL:
to create a system for the formation, preservation, and strengthening of people's health, realization of health potential for an active productive, social, and personal life, increase in life expectancy and improvement of quality of life, and improvement of the demographic situation in the Miory District.
The project implementation office is located at: 78 Kommunisticheskaya St., Miory, tel. 8 (02152) 5 19 77