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Healthy cities engage the whole of society, encouraging the participation of all communities in the pursuit of peace and prosperity — and that’s what we’ve been doing in Derry City & Strabane since we first joined the World Health Organization’s Healthy Cities Network.

In 2022, Derry City & Strabane achieved WHO Healthy City designation for the third time. Now we’re preparing for phase VIII of the programme. This ongoing commitment reinforces our vision of a community where health and wellbeing are at the core of daily life.

Our work at a glance

What is a World Health Organization Healthy City?

A healthy city is not one that has achieved a particular health status. It is conscious of health and striving to improve it. The requirements are: a commitment to health and a process and structure to achieve it. A healthy city is one that continually creates and improves its physical and social environments and expands the community resources that enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and developing to their maximum potential.

The Derry City & Strabane Healthy City and District project is supported by the Public Health Agency and Derry City & Strabane District Council. We work with local community groups and statutory partners to identify actions that will improve health and drive action across our key areas of focus.

Project Mission

Our Goals

Our programme of work has three main areas of focus

Tackling health inequalities

On average, people in Derry City and Strabane have among the worst health outcomes in Northern Ireland and people in the most deprived areas of Derry City & Strabane have worse health outcomes than other places in the council district.

Around the world, factors, including education, employment status, income level, gender and ethnicity have an influence on how healthy a person is. With the right policies these unfair differences in health outcomes can be reduced.

Sustainable communities

Sustainable development describes policies, projects and investments that provide benefits today without sacrificing environmental, social and personal health in the future.

The evidence is clear that investment in our environment can also improve health. According to the World Health Organization, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases through better transport, food and energy use choices can result in very large gains for health, particularly through reduced air pollution.

Collaboration and research

The Healthy Cities approach recognizes the determinants of health and the need to work in collaboration across public, private, voluntary and community sector organisations.

That includes involving local people in decision-making, requires political commitment and organizational and community development, and recognizes the process to be as important as the outcomes.

Project Impact

Testimonials

Our project co-ordinator

"Healthy cities are places that deliver for people and the planet. By building on our health assets and acting on the health inequities we see in the local data we can help people live happier healthier lives here in Derry and Strabane."

Edel O'Doherty, Chief Executive Officer

edel@dhcni.com

Resources

Grants

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Community/Voluntary

Neighbourhood Health Improvement

Promotes health in six Neighbourhood Renewal Areas

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Community/Voluntary

Sports Group Grants

Closed for 2024 - Avail of training and receive up to £500 worth of relevant sports equipment for your club.

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Community/Voluntary