Health ties to economy have been sadly proved by COVID-19, says Erin McFeely Derry World Health Organisation Healthy Cities co-ordinator

Erin Mc Feely, Chief Executive of Developing Healthy Communities, made the observation while updating the Council’s Health & Community Committee on the work of the Healthy Cities Network.

She said: “COVID–19 has sadly demonstrated to us, that there is an inextricable link between the health and economy of our community. The COVID-19 recovery will really compel us to see health and economy as two sides of the same coin. For this reason, Healthy Cities is the key framework which will promote this joined up approach to our recovery.”

In her report Ms. McFeely told members that Derry City & Strabane District Council has successfully completed Phase V (2009- 2014) and Phase VI (2014-2019) of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network. Following approval from the Committee, the Mayor submitted an Expression of Interest to WHO to join Phase VII of the Network in February 2019. The process to complete the designation process was paused due to COVID-19 however, it is now back underway.

Council members were also told more about the New Ideas Fund, a new grants programme run by the British Science Association that enables the public to think about, develop and test ideas related to areas of mental wellbeing that are relevant to them.