WHO Healthy Cities Network

The World Health Organization (WHO) Healthy Cities Network is a cooperation network of European cities that has been operational since 1988. The objective of the Healthy Cities Network is to support cities in the promotion of wellbeing. The network serves as a forum for meetings, facilitating the exchange of experiences, common policies and development projects among its members.

Kuopio has been part of the WHO Healthy Cities Network since 2005. Turku and Helsinki also represent Finland in the network. In total, the Healthy Cities Network involves around 100 cities. The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) coordinates the national network in Finland.

The activities of the Healthy Cities Network are guided by themes that vary depending on the phase of the programme. The current, seventh, phase will be implemented between 2019 and 2025. This phase emphasises the themes of the 2018 Copenhagen Consensus. Its vision is in line with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The seventh phase focuses on people, participation, prosperity, planet, place and peace. 

Phase VII core themes:

  • People – investing in the people
  • Places – designing urban places that improve health and well-being;
  • Participation –fostering greater participation and partnerships
  • Prosperity – improving community prosperity and access to common goods and services
  • Peace – promoting peace and security
  • Planet – protecting the planet and promoting sustainable development

Annual conferences of the WHO Healthy Cities Network

The WHO Healthy Cities Network organises an annual conference to release the network’s political statement and showcase how the cities involved in the network promote the wellbeing and health of

their residents. Kuopio has actively participated in the conferences. Below, you can find the released statements and the oral presentations and posters from Kuopio presented at the conferences.

Contact information