More than 160 participants, from local administrations and technical staff in health, social, and educational fields, will gather in Gáldar on November 12 and 13 for the VII Plenary and the VIII Regional Meeting of the Canary Strategy for Health Promoting Islands and Municipalities (ECIMPS). The event aims to drive local public policies with a health focus, fostering alliances and joint work.
Organized by the Canary Islands Government's Ministry of Health, through the Directorate General of Public Health of the Canary Health Service, the Canary Federation of Municipalities (FECAM), and the Federation of Island Councils (FECAI), the event will take place at the Guaires Cultural Center. November 12 will feature the VII Plenary, focused on the strategy's review and future, while Friday, November 13, will host the VIII Regional Meeting under the theme ‘Participation and Community Action’.
The program will be complemented by the Health Fair, held in Plaza de Santiago in Gáldar, where local entities, educational centers, and community projects will showcase health promotion resources and initiatives. Currently, 69 out of 88 municipalities in the Canary Islands and six out of seven island councils are adhering to the Strategy.
The VII Plenary will be attended by the Minister of Health, Esther Monzón, the mayor of Gáldar, Teodoro Sosa Monzón, and the president of FECAM, María Concepción Brito. Following the inaugural conference by Estefanía García (Ministry of Health) and an intervention by Óscar Hernández (Mayor of Agüimes), the Gánigo, the ECIMPS symbol, will be presented.
The VIII Regional Meeting on Friday, November 13, will address participation and community action from schools and citizens, with keynote speeches from experts such as María Luisa Blanco Roca and María Yolanda Ortega and María del Carmen Marrero. Experiences from municipalities like Candelaria, Breña Baja, San Bartolomé de Lanzarote, and Tacoronte, as well as from the Island Council of Gran Canaria and the Island Council of La Palma, will be presented.
During the event, the ‘Canarias Promueve Salud’ Distinction will be awarded, recognizing good practices in health promotion in Canary Islands municipalities. The meeting aims to consolidate the strategy as a key space for driving local public policies, fostering alliances, and generating mutual learning.
