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The WHO Healthy Cities project is a global movement with networks established in all six WHO regions. It engages local governments in health development through a process of political commitment, institutional change, capacity-building, partnership-based planning and innovative projects. Nearly 100 cities are members of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network as project cities, and 30 national Healthy Cities networks across the WHO European Region have more than 1200 cities and towns as members.

Each five-year phase focuses on core priority themes and is launched with a political declaration and a set of strategic goals. The overarching goals for Phase VII (2019–2024):

  • Goal 1: Fostering health and well-being for all and reducing health inequities
  • Goal 2: Leading by example nationally, regionally and globally
  • Goal 3: Supporting implementation of WHO strategic priorities

Phase VII core themes:
  1. Investing in the people who make up our cities
  2. Designing urban places that improve health and well-being
  3. Fostering greater participation and partnerships for health and well-being
  4. Improving community prosperity and acces to common goods and services
  5. Promoting peace and security through inclusive societies
  6. Protecting the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production


More information about Healthy Cities: https://www.who.int/europe/groups/who-european-healthy-cities-network

Hungary has been an active member of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network since its formulation in 1987. The City of Pécs joined the network at the beginning and started to create the national network. After four years of networking the Hungarian Association of Healthy Cities was legally established in 1992 with 11 member cities.

In 2014 the Association amended its constitution document to allow Hungarian speaking cities in the Carpathian basin to join the Network, and the Association changed its name to Hungarian Speaking Association of Healthy Cities.

In 2019 the Hungarian Network changed its name to: Healthy Cities Association in the Carpathian basin, has been working as a subregional network since 2022.

The Healthy Cities Association in the Carpathian basin has 25 members in 2023 – 9 are Hungarian speaking cities from the Carpathian basin. The Associaton has been an accredited member of the European National Healthy Cities Networks in Phase VII as well.

Member cities of the Association:
  • Baja
  • Békéscsaba
  • Budapest XIII. Kerület
  • Dunaszerdahely
  • Erdőszentgyörgy
  • Győr (project city since 1994)
  • Hódmezővásárhely
  • Kaposvár
  • Kecskemét
  • Lendva
  • Magyarkanizsa
  • Mosonmagyaróvár
  • Pécs (project city since 1988)
  • Sopron
  • Szabadka
  • Székelyudvarhely
  • Székesfehérvár
  • Szentendre
  • Szigetszentmiklós
  • Szolnok
  • Szováta
  • Topolya
  • Zalakaros
  • Zalaszentgrót
  • Zenta