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Transform Lisbon into a global model for public health in a short period of time. This is the goal of the National School of Public Health (ENSP) and its participation in the Healthy Cities Challenge. Now, the initiative driven by Novo Nordisk and C40 Cities has just announced that the Portuguese Language School project of the New University of Lisbon has been selected among the ten finalists in a shortlist that included 90 proposals from 34 countries.
Lisbon: City of Public Health 2025 was developed by the Portuguese research team Carolina Santos, Ana Gama, Sónia Dias and Susana Viegas as part of Lisbon’s transformation campus ENSP impacts the entire local community by “connecting people to nature and engaging in a variety of health promotion initiatives designed to improve physical and mental health” in a safe and accessible space.
Carolina Santos, professor at the National School of Public Health of the New University of Lisbon and coordinator of the Lisbon: City of Public Health 2025 project, explains to SAPO how the ENSP idea was among the 10 finalists of the International Healthy Cities Challenge, which aims to make Lisbon a global model of public health by 2025, and how it will help reverse the growing impact of chronic diseases on the Portuguese population. And how it will achieve the stated goal of providing a better quality of life for the Portuguese and Lisbon residents.
The ENSP project was ranked in the top ten out of 90 proposals from 34 countries. What differentiation did it bring to justify this shortlist?
The projects of the National School of Public Health of the New University of Lisbon (ENSP NOVA) contribute to the development of the city of Lisbon and the parish of Lumiar in particular, transforming it into a reference for the promotion of public health in the coming years, in a solid and integrated way that also allows adaptation to other realities, relying on evidence created by the School itself.
But it can be expanded to a larger ecosystem.
Yes, the project could be extended to other locations and is designed to increase interest in the location among people who live, study or work in the area. campusbut also for those who come to us and want to learn about city life and the dynamics of the local community. campus ENSP NOVA installed some resources to organize the city’s itinerary of activities, promoting health and quality of life. In order to promote the scalability of the project (a relevant criterion of the competition jury), we organized training workshops with CCDR-LVT (Coordination and Development Committee of the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Region) for all cities interested in replicating the plan.
What characteristics of Lisbon residents are most distinctive and best suited to their reality? How would they suggest improving their lives to make the city more sustainable and healthy?
The project promotes a greater connection between people and nature, something that Lisbon’s residents need, given its level of urbanization. On the other hand, it promotes residents’ connection with the local community and participation in workshops to develop solutions that promote healthier and more sustainable living in the city. Organizing debates around the various challenges related to everyone’s health and the attributes of a healthy community is also a core element. We cannot ignore the gamification element to engage a younger audience, which we will introduce in the events we organize with our partner Ecomood Portugal. In short, we have designed events that cover the entire life cycle and needs of different groups, including the most vulnerable, helping people understand the social and environmental determinants of health, observe the attributes of communities, and feel supported in making lifestyle changes that actively promote a healthy, sustainable and inclusive environment.
What motivated you to compete for this initiative and what were the guidelines for the project?
One of the main objectives of ENSP NOVA is to be a school open to the community and able to develop applied research projects and solutions based on co-creation processes. The opportunity that drives the transformation of the ENSP Garden is to promote behaviors that promote physical and mental health and contribute to the achievement of goals related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 3, which is one of the ambitions of ENSP. This project is in line with the mission of ENSP NOVA. The project has created the conditions for us to carry out research in this area, to build a network of partnerships, to have several institutions work in the network, always working to develop an agenda for cities that includes activities such as health promotion and micro projects that address the environmental determinants of health.
Are the realities in Portugal, and in particular in Lisbon (particularly the rates of obesity and diabetes), particularly worrying when compared to health standards in other European capitals?
Chronic non-communicable diseases are having an increasing impact in many countries, and Portugal is no exception, and greater investment in the prevention of diseases such as diabetes and obesity would benefit Portugal. For example, data from the International Diabetes Federation estimate that Portugal has the second highest standardized prevalence of diabetes among the 27 EU countries, with an average prevalence of 6.2% in Portugal in 2021, compared to 9% in Portugal. .1%. The 2022 OECD Health at a Glance report also states that the countries with the highest prevalence of diabetes among adults are Croatia, Turkey and Portugal. The World Health Organization’s 2022 European Regional Obesity Report, referring to 2019 data, concluded that more than half (52.7%) of EU adults are overweight. In Portugal, the value is 55.9%. Studies on the same issue for children also show that the reality of young people deserves special attention. As for regional realities, the 2015-2016 National Diet and Physical Activity Survey estimated that the Lisbon region is the second region in Portugal with the highest prevalence of obesity and pre-obesity, after the Alentejo region. Regardless of the various statistics, we know today that the future of society and health systems depends on our ability to make health promotion and public health a national priority.
So, are these types of initiatives more valuable in an ageing society like Portugal, where needs arise from a high rate of chronic diseases?
Undoubtedly, the speed of aging in the country, and in particular in the city of Lisbon, increases the need for social support to prevent isolation and the development of physical and mental illnesses. On the other hand, the high burden associated with major non-communicable diseases such as cancer, chronic cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes, etc., requires a differentiated response, thus promoting greater investments in health promotion and disease prevention, so that people can be healthy, live a good quality of life, and live longer. For example, the project envisages the provision of tricycle rides for the elderly by our partner Pedalar Sem Age Bulgaria.
If awarded $100,000, what would be ENSP’s top priority?
Design and installation of a natural library in the school garden, built with sustainable materials, and becoming an attraction for tourists to the city of Lisbon and campus da Escola, a space that promotes reading, contact with nature and meaningful connections between members of the local community, where numerous initiatives will also be organized with candidate partners and where the itinerary of activities for the cities listed below Promoting health and well-being are examples of some of the first steps to be taken.
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