Baltic Region Healthy Cities Association was founded in 1998 to promote health conditions in urban areas in the Baltic Sea Region and to support the programmes of WHO, which concentrate on urban health issues. Since 2002 the Association has been a WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Cities and Urban Health in the Baltic Region. 

The background for the activities of the Baltic Region Healthy Cities Association is in the WHO Healthy Cities principles, which offer comprehensive policy and planning solutions to urban health problems. Healthy Cities engages local governments in health development through a process of political commitment, institutional changes, capacity building, partnership-based plans and concrete actions.

 

Terms of reference
WHO has approved the following terms of reference for the Baltic Region Healthy Cities Association:

1. to support the cities in implementing WHO Healthy Cities goals and motivate new cities into joining the networks,
2. to build the capacity of health and well-being expertise on a local level by networking with appropriate institutions and organisations,
3. to enhance the visibility of the Healthy Cities operations and communication,
4. to build an information system of best practices and the state of well-being in cities belonging to the Baltic Sea Region Healthy Cities networks, and
5. to network with local, national and international health and well-being experts to share best practices and expertise.

 
Main goal and activities
The Association aims at increasing the awareness of the local governments to take health as a central part in their decision making in the cities belonging to the Healthy Cities Networks and other interested actors.

This is achieved by facilitating and participating in projects; organising training and seminars on topics associated with Healthy Cities core themes. Benchmarking between network cities is promoted and new cities, networks and projects invited in the WHO related programmes.

The activities of the Association are aiming to strengthen the skills of the cities belonging to the Healthy Cities Networks and other interested actors to integrate health in their strategies and operations.
 

The Association works with all 10 countries around the Baltic Sea Region. The work is especially targeted to:

1. the cities in the WHO Healthy Cities network,
2. the cities in the National Healthy Cities networks and
3. the cities/municipalities interested to join these networks.

Main target groups are politicians and decision makers of the local governments, civil servants and officers of local and national administrations, Healthy City coordinators, and researchers and experts in universities and institutions.