The Haría City Council has promoted several health and care conferences, this Sunday, April 7, coinciding with the commemoration of World Health Day. The World Health Organization (WHO) has once again emphasized this year the universality of this right, regardless of where you live and what resources you have. The right to health, like education, housing, drinking water and electricity services, or sustainable environmental conditions, is a fundamental issue for the quality and life expectancy in any territory, city or region", said the Councilor for Health in the Haría City Council and Spokesperson for Nueva Canarias in Haría, Marcos Lemes.
Therefore, "since I took over the Department of Health of the Haría City Council, I set out to transform the image and activities that have frequently been given to this area, seen by the vast majority of public officials and citizens as a residual area in the competential configuration of the municipalities, where it is in charge of small public health actions".
If we stick to Law 11/1994, of July 26, on Health Planning of the Canary Islands in its article 47, the powers of the municipalities in matters of Public Health are the following, Lemes recalled.
- The sanitary control of the environment, in particular, that of atmospheric pollution, water supply, wastewater sanitation, urban and industrial waste, without prejudice to the powers of other Public Administrations.
- The sanitary control of industries, activities and transport services, noise and vibrations.
- The sanitary control of buildings and places of housing and human coexistence, especially food centers, hairdressers, saunas and personal hygiene centers, hotels and residential centers, schools, tourist camps and physical-sports and recreational activity areas.
- Sanitary control of the distribution and supply of food, beverages and other products, directly or indirectly related to human use or consumption, as well as the means of transport.
- Sanitary control of cemeteries and sanitary police (municipal laboratory; control program in the consumer's tap; bathing water control program; animal ownership; health and habitability of housing; Public Health reports; urban pest control; self-control system; publications; municipal procedures).
"As you can see, the municipalities have a wide range of activities in health matters recognized by the main health legislation of the Canary Islands. The role of the City Councils in this matter is connected with all government structures, and this is reflected in international initiatives such as the Healthy Cities Project promoted by the European Office of the WHO, which points to cities and municipalities as true promoters of health policies," he adds.
That is why, from the Health Department of the Haría City Council, "we have launched some initiatives to promote public health in the municipality, from pest control and water quality; to the school nursing project. However, I would like to stop to explain an initiative that has truly filled me with satisfaction and pride: the first World Health Day Conference aimed primarily at promoting healthy habits among the population," the councilor revealed.
These conferences have as their main objective "to educate our neighbors in healthy habits. As is known, the municipality of Haría is the longest-lived municipality in Lanzarote, with many elderly people who have various pathologies and who need to have tools for their daily lives that make them active and healthy. But not only that, but also young or middle-aged neighbors need to activate our body and our mind around healthy and healthy attitudes".
"In these two days on health we have learned, we have exercised the body, and we have discussed health and care. Because care is not only limited to the private environment of our homes, but must also be in the town where you walk, where you socialize and where you ultimately make your life on a daily basis." "A friendly, sustainable and participatory municipality is a municipality whose main mission is to care for its neighbors. The care of its environmental surroundings, its streets, its infrastructures, but, above all, of its people," he said in his words.
From this council we will continue "promoting the care of our municipality and ourselves. We will continue to promote health and active participation. There is no public mission as important and enriching as caring for and being cared for. Haría Cares for You. Haría Takes Care of Itself".