Transition Cities Conference, UK, Nov-2008 - Open Space write up
Title: Can Transition Cities be Healthy Cities?
Hosted by: Alan Cunningham
Handouts were passed around indicating significant discrepancies in health between different cities and also within them
The conclusion is that health is less genetics and more the social setting and the policies affecting it.
Sustainable living should promote health in a positive way. Example of this is "Health and Environmental partnership" in Nottingham, supported by the PCT.
What's needed is a "healthy city model", driven by community targets rather than government targets.
Local initiatives along these lines already exist – eg green gyms
The key problems are:
· stress
· addiction
· nutrition
· social suppport
· mental health
Transition Cities need to take account of the WHO (World Health Organisation) recommendations for healthy cities.
Transition needs to consider issues of inclusion. We assume that sustainable living is healthy, but we must also take account of and take care of our sick, elderly, disabled.
Health care is very fossil fuel dependent – medicine, machinery, training, materials – and also high user of electricity (an energy source that may see disruptions in the UK).
Two key questions
· how can we go about reassessing what drives the management of health services – should government targets or patient needs and community needs drive this service?
· how can we change those metrics?
· will standards have to fall to avoid total melt down of the current system?
Some ideas for Solutions
· Use the WHO research, targets and indicators, particularly their "commission on Social Determinants of Health"
· create a "Healthy City" model
· access funding from health Trusts
· allocate resources carefully
· encourage a healthy life style for everyone
· think about inclusion
· link up to policy
· map the problem areas and direct resources towards them – social deprivation indicators whill be helpful in this
· use existing groups and staff members with such interests
· for funding, link up health groups and food groups
WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health
The final report of the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health "Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health Equity through Action on the Social Determinants of Health" was published in August 2008.
The Final Report of the Commission sets out key areas of daily living conditions, which impact upon health and the underlying causes that influence them in which action is needed. ‘It suggests that the high burden of illness responsible for appalling premature loss of life arises in part because of the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age’
The report concludes that Social factors - rather than genetics - are to blame for huge variations in ill health and life expectancy around the world. The report found that in almost all countries, poor socioeconomic circumstances equated to poor health. The differences were so marked that genetics and biology could not begin to explain them. The authors write in the report that the combination of bad policies, economics, and politics is, in large measure responsible for the fact that a majority of people in the world do not enjoy the good health that is biologically possible. The report calls for governments to consider how all their policies impact on health. It says that it is entirely possible to reduce health inequality within a relatively short period of time. But it warns that, without action, injustice and inequality will only increase.
(web site: http://www.who.int/social_determinants/final_report/en/index.html )
South East Health Providers (constantly evolving), Health News, Events.
http://southeasthealth.org.au
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Creating healthy communities from the inside
Building resilience, partcipation and ...health
www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2007/apr/06_0100.htm
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Health promotion is based on the critical human right that everyone should be able to attain a personal standard of health without discrimination. The global context for health promotion has changed markedly since the development of the WHO definition in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion in 1986. Critical factors that now influence personal health include increasing inequalities within and between countries; new patterns of consumption and communication; commercialisation of health; global environmental changes, and urbanisation.
Health education is a capacity building strategy of health promotion that encourages positive behavior modification of individual risk behaviors that prevent people from reaching their optimal health. Health education is now included in mainstream school curriculum in many countries. It aims to assist students in forming positive attitudes and practices that assist in the development of emotional health, self image, drug use and abuse, exercise, nutrition, weight control, and sexual relationships.
Follow the link below for a range of resources on health promotion, education and capacity building, including research papers, case studies, evaluations and websites.
http://www.developmentgateway.com.au/jahia/Jahia/pid/5580
