DELEGATION OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS FROM LATVIA VISIT NOVI SAD

Member of the City Council in charge for Healthcare Professor Zoltan Horvat, MD, PhD, received today a delegation of healthcare workers from Latvia who, within the World Health Organization conference, visited Serbia from September 21st to 24th.
- Our guests today are representatives of the City of Riga and Jurmala, the cities which are also members of the European Healthy Cities Network. This is the opportunity to present them our activities and results within the ‘Novi Sad Healthy City’. Apart from this, we will also be able to hear about the experiences of Latviain the implementation of ‘Health in all Policies’, which entails that health is the basic principle when reaching any decision in urban living – stated Mr. Horvat adding that it is through interdepartmental and citizens’ cooperation that such approach can be realized, enabling healthy and high-quality living conditions.
Head of the Health Promotion Department of the Diseases Prevention and Control Center Ms. Solvita Kаlvinа Маkrеckа extended her gratitude on behalf of the delegation for the warm welcome and pointed out that her impression after meeting with healthcare workers from numerous Serbian cities is that here, just as in Latvia, a lot of work is done and a great effort is committed to health promotion, but also to strengthening of cooperation among healthcare institutions and organization with local self-governments.
- The Cities of Riga and Јurmаla were awarded the Healthy City Status by the World Health Organization, and we have also been supported by the Ministry of Health since 2013. It is due to this support that we established our National Healthy Cities Network, which represents an important tool in state health promotion policy implementation, enabling not only support, information and material to Healthy Cities, but also feedback for the Ministry – explained Ms. Sоlvitа Kаlvinа Маkrеckа.
Following the reception, a working meeting was held with the purpose of information and experience exchange in the sphere of public health, interdepartmental cooperation, as well as the spreading of the Healthy Cities Network. The meeting was also attended by the Head of the Mayor’s Office Mr. Аlеksаndаr Pеtrоvić, Head of the City Healthcare Administration Ms. Мilа Uvеrić-Rаdоvić, ‘Nоvi Sаd – Healthy City’ Project coordinator Assoc. Prof. Оlја Nićifоrоvić Šurkоvić, MD, PhD, as well as the representatives of the World Health Organization. 
Healthy Cities Network is a long-term international development project whose purpose is to set healthcare, healthcare promotion and disease prevention among the top urban development priorities, all this through interdepartmental activities. Thorough foundation of the ‘Healthy City’ Project is to understand that during the decision-making process at the local level, one should always pay special attention to their potential influence on healthcare as a basic value. In October 2014, European Healthy Cities Network approved accession of Novi Sad into their Sixth Phase.
In Novi Sad, September 23rd 2015