EVALUATION OF UZUNKOPRU DISTRICT IN TERMS OF HEALTHY CITIES PROJECT

Abstract

Community health and healthy interaction with an environment is accepted as an indicator of people’s quality of life. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the word ‘‘health’’ as not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, but a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. In this study, ‘‘health’’ is evaluated in terms of complete social well-being and quality of life in the definition of WHO. In order for individuals to have a lifestyle of complete well-being, environmental conditions require social unity, where the minimum level of shelter and nutrition needs are met, where they can be employed in the city where they live, and where the physical infrastructure of the city is sufficient. The healthy cities project, initiated by WHO, is to encourage decision makers to develop comprehensive local strategies for the protection and sustainability of health through intersectoral cooperation. In the study, it is aimed to evaluate the current situation in line with the vision plan of Uzunköprü district and within the framework of the healthy cities project.Qualitative research method was used in the research. Data were collected by documentary source scanning method and SWOT analysis was made using secondary data obtained from official documents. It has been determined that the district fulfils most of the items covered by the healthy cities project. However, it is important to accelerate and finalize the rehabilitation works of the Ergene river, which is one of the environmental problems of the district. The district needs to design and solve important problems such as unemployment and the low-income group being high compared to the population ratio of the district, using the existing potentials, especially with new initiatives aimed at the socio-economic level of the district. In addition, preventing the migration in the district and giving priority to the projects in the field of tourism will have an important role in its participation in the healthy cities movement. This study is important in order to contribute to the projects to be carried out in line with the vision of Uzunköprü district to participate in the healthy cities movement.

Keywords

• health
• urban health
• healthy cities project
• sustainability.