The Office for Health and Care invited the Gera "Healthy Community" network today (Wednesday, 17 August) to discuss the changed needs and work requirements in the area of health promotion associated with the coronavirus pandemic. The joint exchange was accompanied by the presentation of the "AGATHE - ageing in community" project. This is a funding program of the Free State of Thuringia with the aim of enabling people to grow old in a healthy and self-determined way and to benefit from a wide range of advice and support options. In addition, the focus was on concepts for promoting the health of unemployed people in order to maintain or improve their employability.

The invitation was accepted by 37 members of the network. These included, for example, the statutory health insurance companies, the state association for health promotion (AGETHUR), providers from the child and youth sector, social counseling and care, as well as representatives of the senior citizens' advisory council and the city administration.

"This direct exchange is extremely important for us, because only with the expertise of our network in practice can we as a municipality further develop the topic of health in line with demand," says Monique Heinze, acting head of the Office for Health and Care, who values the network. The citizens of Gera can only benefit from this well-functioning association of a wide range of stakeholders.
The "Healthy Community" network was founded by the city administration in November 2014 with the aim of bringing together all health service providers, initiatives and stakeholders in Gera who influence health-promoting living and working conditions, lifestyles and the health behavior of citizens and families. They want to improve the exchange between them and better reach disadvantaged population groups in particular with needs-based offers. The project is linked to the "Healthy Cities Network of the Federal Republic of Germany" and the initiatives of the Thuringian Ministry of Social Affairs "Agethur - Landesvereinigung für Gesundheitsförderung Thüringen e.V." and "aktiv für Gesundheitsziele in Thüringen".