Hong Kong
Having lived in this city for the past three years, I’ve had the opportunity to experience and see what a ‘Healthy City’ looks like in action.
In 1997 the Healthy Cities Project (HCP) was launched in a district called Tseung Kwan O by a non-governmental organization. The initiative was so successful that in 2004, Hong Kong was invited to join the Healthy Cities Alliance, consisting of several Western Asian countries.
To further understand how the concept of HCPs work in Hong Kong, we need to explore the elements and founding principles laid out by WHO. The same principles that have made Hong Kong a model city for this initiative.
There are seven principal elements that need to be considered when a city is adopting the ‘Healthy City’ method.
- Political Leaders should be publicly committed to this initiative.
- The goal of any project in the city should be used to improve health and quality of life for all.
- The city needs to find ways to encourage participatory planning.
- Any project activities developed in the city should take into consideration the health of the population.
- Project activities should be undertaken by multidisciplinary teams.
- Project activities should be monitored and evaluated.
- Situation analysis of projects should be available to the general public and other Healthy City initiatives.
Hong Kong has managed to establish HCPs in all 18 districts, with structures and mechanisms tailored to the characteristics and needs of individual districts. These structures include
“A healthy city is one that is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential.” (Hancock, T. and Duhl, L., 1988)
- creating ways to have a safe community with convenient transportation, which will be provided and to them. To also give a qualified physical and physiological assessment to elders.
- ways of promoting the importance of regular exercise, especially in promoting Tai Chi, to enhance the knowledge of the community in fall prevention.
- avenues used to raising public awareness in hypertension and enhancing their knowledge on prevention and treatment of hypertension.
- paths that are being utilized to enhance mental health for people in the community.
To date, Hong Kong has participated in a number of Global Health conferences that highlight the positive impact of a Healthy City Project within the community.
Their focus on improving the quality of life for their citizens has been something I experience on a regular basis. Whether it be going to the emergency room for as little as 120 Hong Kong Dollars or being able to find an oasis of a park in the middle of a busy city, it’s a true reflection of what a government can do for its people when it puts them first.
