ActiHealth

LL-00167

Active involvement of communities to improve healthy lifestyle habits

Common territorial challenge (s) that will be tackled by the project

The health profiles of Lithuania and Latvia share similarities due to shared climate and lifestyle habits. Main causes of death include non-infectious diseases like cardiovascular issues and malignant tumors, with mortality rates notably high in Daugavpils and Akmene districts. Since various health indicators in Latvia and Lithuania are still lower than the EU average, the health burden leads to a lower quality of life and a shorter life expectancy. Lifestyle factors like poor diet and sedentary behavior contribute to health issues, highlighting the need for interventions to promote physical activity and mental health across both countries.

Project objective

The project aims to enhance the health and well-being of communities in the Akmene and Daugavpils municipalities cross-border region by strengthening the capacity of healthcare professionals to address public health challenges and increasing engagement of community members of all ages in physical, mental health and healthy lifestyles activities through collaborative efforts.

Planned activities

The ActiHealth project aims to encourage residents to engage in various physical, mental health, and healthy lifestyle activities and also to create a framework for the health monitoring methodology, as well as ready-to-use tool-kit for the health specialists on community engagement. The experience of organizing wellness activities will be shared across countries. In addition, the project aims to train public health specialists to the more effective involvement of community members in health activities, which will result in increased public engagement and awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.