In the 1980s and later, the nations that have adopted the commitment to the Healthy Cities project of the World Health Organization have formed the network of healthy cities. Since 1988, the Croatian healthy cities are all connected together under the mail association which name is Croatian network of healthy cities and has its own Support center in the Folk Health School “Andrija Štampar” in Zagreb.
The mission of the Network is to give the support to the cities and the regions, to the members in their efforts with which they’re trying to establish and direct respectable projects of Healthy Cities and Healthy regions, the projects that will succeed in influencing and helping the national and local construction of the social health policy.
After twenty years of existence, the Croatian network has encouraged cities and regions to organize local health projects with the full respect of their environment, problems and potential.
After that they’ve solved the priority problem of their cities, taking care of the set of challenges of the dense environment, the operative groups have acquired a big practical experience and they’ve achieved excellent results in the local level of promotion and optimization of their citizens’ health.
In 2008, the Croatian Network has celebrated its 20 years of existence and activity oriented towards the health of our environment with the annual campaign Connected with the health in which has activated themselves the healthy cities and regions of Croatia. Related to this campaign, it was established that each month is marked by a specific topic that represents a contribution to the health and healthy lifestyle choices.
Right at the beginning of its work, the Croatian healthy cities network become a member of the European network and it’s the most active and most successful network in the realization of the specific projects for the health. On occasion of the 20 years of existence and activity of the Croatian healthy cities network (1998 – 2008), Zagreb received the hosting of the annual Conference of European networks of healthy cities in October 2008.
The Croatian healthy cities network is a successful national network (HMZG), also a member of the European healthy cities network. The HMZG renews its accreditation successfully to continue and develop the healthy cities project in its national environment ‘cause it’s satisfied all the condition and requirements of the SZO for the implementation of the global project for the health. Since the foundation of the Network, the role of coordinator has been undertaken by prof. Dr. SC. Selma Šogorić, a doctor with the specialization in public medicine, one of the greatest experts of the Croatian public medicine at the Faculty of Medicine in Zagreb and also famous and recognized as an expert in public medicine in Europe, associate professor of the Folk medicine school A. Štampar in Zagreb.
You can read more about the Croatian healthy cities network going on the site: www.zdravi-gradovi.com.hr/