The Copenhagen City Council has just approved its public health targets for the next five years. One is that efforts to reduce social inequality should be integrated into all policies in the City. The following are three examples of initiatives run by the Copenhagen Health Administration.
Health Care Services - The Family Clinic
Two hospitals in Copenhagen are offering family clinics which have a special service for pregnant women and mothers with problems with alcohol and drug abuse. The aim is to treat and prevent abuse of alcohol and drugs in order to reduce the number of children with congenital defects. All members of the family are involved in the care and treatment.
The workplace - Focus on unskilled workers
Unskilled workers at a refuse disposal plant in Copenhagen have defined their own health promotion activities. They are involved in a project which targets the working environment (both physical and psychological), lifestyle, and, social responsibility in the workplace. Activities include group fitness classes, courses in stress management, smoking cessation, healthy and exciting cooking, Danish, arithmetic and computer skills.
Local areas - Healthy City Shops and Schools
Locally, Healthy City Shops - of which there is one in almost every district in the city - give those living in Copenhagen easy access to health promoting activities and at the same time provide day-care facilities and Healthy City Schools include a programme called "You decide", which aims to strengthen young people’s (8th grade) competence in decisions affecting their health. Six lessons - given individually and in groups - make clear the relation between the decisions young people are making and their health, and provide help to change habits if desired.
The Health Administration is currently training instructors and the objective is to extend this successful programme to all schools in Copenhagen. These activities focus on reducing social inequalities in health.
The fundamentals for good health in adulthood are created in childhood and adolescence. Children growing up under poor social and materially deprived conditions have worse health and a poorer quality of life than children who experience better living conditions. And social differences in health behaviour in adolescence will contribute to social differences in health later in life.
Info:
Birgitte Finnemann Bruun
City of Copenhagen
Tel: + 45 3530 3575, Fax: +45 3530 3939
E-mail: bfb.suf@ipost.kk.dk
