The Mosta local council is looking into what it would take to become Malta’s first health city certified by the World Health Organisation, mayor Shirley Farrugia said.
Being rubber-stamped as a health city would mean Mosta will be officially recognised as a town committed to promoting health and sustainable development.
More than 90 cities, spread across 30 European countries, form part of the WHO European healthy cities network.
Dr Farrugia, a doctor by profession, said she believed her locality was ideal for exploring the option of having Malta’s first health city.
This is because one in every 20 Maltese are from Mosta, the village is family based and, while there is a high birth rate, there is also a high percentage of elderly and young couples moving into the area, she said.
The mayor added that the council was working on proposals to start making the Mosta environment healthier and more sustainable.
These included having a bicycle network, a childcare centre and turning the car park near the church into a recreational area that would be used for families and may include an outdoor gym.
The council was also studying the roads to see how they could be improved to encourage people to cycle and walk more, among other things.
Dr Farrugia was speaking during a meeting with EU Health Commissioner John Dalli who visited the council.
He welcomed the council’s initiative and said it must ensure projects were holistic.
He said health was a priority for many Europeans and this placed great responsibility on country leaders.
For healthcare to remain sustainable in Europe – where there was an ageing population and longer life expectancy – there had to be a change in mindset.
People had to start thinking about active ageing and there had to be more stress on precaution, mainly to address alcohol abuse, smoking and obesity.
Governments had to invest in ensuring people looked after their health when they were young. The mindset had to change so that care was given away from hospital and was more community based.
He made reference to a recent study published in The Lancet, a prestigious medical journal, which showed that in Malta more people died of inactivity than anywhere else in the world.
More had to be done to educate people about healthy eating, he said adding he was pleased to see an education campaign in schools, “which is where it all starts”.
People also needed to be encouraged to exercise more. “This is where I believe we Maltese fail. We are used to not exercising and not walking when we don’t have long distances,” he said.