In June, two important events dedicated to strengthening public health and developing innovative health monitoring methods took place in Naujoji Akmenė. The events were attended by a wide range of specialists seeking to improve the quality of health in the local community.
The first event brought together public health specialists from Naujoji Akmenė, representatives of the municipality, sports and educational institutions for a common goal – to create an advanced health monitoring methodology.
During the event, participants discussed the main objectives of the new methodology, analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of current systems, and identified the most difficult public health indicators to monitor. Particular attention was paid to the reliability of data sources, cooperation with healthcare institutions, and the integration of environmental data.
“Our goal is to create a health monitoring system that is not only effective but also easily understandable to decision-makers at various levels,” emphasized Inga Borusienė, Director of Public Health Office of Akmenė district municipality.
Participants also discussed data privacy and security issues and looked for ways to effectively involve community members in health monitoring processes.
The second event was dedicated to the development of practical health promotion and community engagement measures. It brought together not only public health specialists, but also representatives from the education and sports sectors.
Participants discussed the main barriers to community involvement, analyzed underrepresented demographic groups, and sought the most effective communication methods. Issues related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health and the new challenges that need to be addressed were particularly relevant.
“After the pandemic, it is especially important to strengthen not only physical but also mental health. The measures we are developing must be adapted to all members of the community, from young people to the elderly,” said I. Borusienė.
Both events demonstrated the importance of close cross-sectoral cooperation in addressing public health issues. The participants agreed on further actions and committed to continuing cooperation in developing effective health monitoring and promotion systems.
These events are an important step in preparing joint solutions with Latvian partners from the Daugavpils municipality, where similar discussions among local specialists also took place. As part of the project “Active involvement of communities to improve healthy lifestyle habits” (No. LL-00167) funded by the Interreg VI-A Latvia-Lithuania 2021-2027 program, a public health monitoring methodology and a set of measures for involving the population will be developed. These measures will help to monitor public health indicators more effectively, better involve community members in health promotion activities, strengthen cooperation between different institutions, and adapt health programs to different population groups.
