The Health Minister of the Government of the Canary Islands, Esther Monzón, has inaugurated the VII Plenary of the Canary Islands Strategy for Health-Promoting Islands and Municipalities (ECIMPS) in Gáldar. This body, promoted by the Directorate General of Public Health of the Canary Health Service, the Federation of Canary Municipalities (FECAM), and the Federation of Canary Islands (FECAI), aims to strengthen local health through inter-administrative collaboration.
The plenary brings together representatives from these institutions and the municipalities adhering to the Strategy in Gáldar. The inauguration was also attended by the Mayor of Gáldar, Teodoro Sosa, and the President of FECAM, María Concepción Brito. The objective is to analyze the activity carried out and define future work priorities.
Esther Monzón highlighted the high adherence of Canary municipalities to the Strategy, noting that 69 out of 88 municipalities and six out of seven island councils are already members, with the aim of reaching full participation. The Mayor of Gáldar, Teodoro Sosa, emphasized the importance of integrating health promotion into all local policies, describing it as part of the municipality's identity.
For her part, María Concepción Brito, President of FECAM, reaffirmed the Federation's commitment to the Strategy and stressed the need to strengthen co-governance between the Government of the Canary Islands, the General State Administration, and the municipalities.
The Canary Islands has 2,909 resources for health promotion identified in the Localiza Salud Map. The minister recalled that, despite Spain's high life expectancy, challenges such as population aging and chronic diseases require updated approaches in public policies.
Following the plenary, a conference was given by Estefanía García (Ministry of Health), followed by a presentation by Óscar Hernández (Mayor of Agüimes) on the role of local corporations in health promotion. The event concluded with the intervention of Benito Robaina Rodríguez and the presentation of the Gánigo award to the host institutions.
The municipality of Gáldar is also hosting the VIII Regional Meeting of the ECIMPS this Friday, which will bring together professionals to share experiences and best practices in health promotion, with a special focus on children, adolescents, and families. The day will include the presentation of the ‘Canarias Promueve Salud’ Distinction.
The Health Fair, to be held at the Gáldar Sports Center, will complete the program, showcasing health promotion resources and initiatives from Gáldar and other parts of Gran Canaria.
