Miñones highlights the strategic role of municipalities in promoting a culture of prevention and healthy environments

This was emphasised during his speech at the opening ceremony of the High Level Meeting (HLM) 'Healthy Cities: Improving health, equity and sustainability from the local level', which was held today in Valencia as part of the agenda of the Spanish presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The acting Minister for Health has advocated that health promotion and prevention should be positioned at the highest level by all the administrations concerned, including the necessary collaboration of local entities for the proper development of all related policies.

"Any investment in prevention that we make now will come back to us in the future," stressed Miñones.

He also announced that Spain has submitted a request to the European Committee of the Regions to draw up an opinion - probably before the end of the year - recognising the fundamental role of cities in protecting health.

Collaboration with the Spanish Network of Healthy Cities

José Miñones emphasised that "guaranteeing a healthy life means building healthy environments in which the citizens participate" and, in this sense, he had words of recognition for the Spanish Network of Healthy Cities (RECS) of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), an organisation that has collaborated with the Ministry of Health in implementing various initiatives on this issue.

José Miñones said that the RECS is "an essential forum for improving people's quality of life and health", to which a total of 507 local entities already belong.

A total of 18.4 million euros from the European 'NextGenerationEU' funds has been earmarked for the plan to create and rehabilitate healthy spaces, especially for vulnerable groups such as children and young people and the elderly at a local level. This programme is included in the Government of Spain's Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, which has already financed 200 projects, and which is in addition to the annual agreement for the promotion of the RECS and the local implementation of the National Strategy for Health Promotion and Prevention.

The Acting Minister for Health also stressed the role played by municipalities in promoting health by encouraging actions and initiatives to prevent addiction and disease and promote healthy habits.

In this regard, he valued Spain's leading role in the development of the Fast-Track Cities HIV and Stigma Strategy, as the country with the largest number of local authorities involved.

In the same vein, he highlighted the programme against obesity and being overweight at school age 'Patios Abiertos-En Plan Bien' that the Ministry of Health is developing in collaboration with the High Commission Against Child Poverty through the CSAI Foundation; an issue that will be the focus of the High Level Meeting (HLM) to be held on 16 and 17 October in Palma.

The event was also attended by the Government Delegate in the Valencia Region, Pilar Bernabé; the Regional Minister for Health, Marciano Gómez; the Mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá; the Vice-Rector for Lifelong Learning, Transformation and Employment, Ángeles Solanes; the Undersecretary of the Ministry for Health, Octavio Rivera; and the Director General of Public Health, Pilar Aparicio.

Non official translation