At the Zlati kamen awards ceremony on March 19, 2024, the National Institute of Public Health awarded recognition for the fifth year in a row to a municipality that was particularly active in approaches to improving the health of its residents in the past year. The municipality of Nova Gorica received the title of Health Municipality 2024.
In addition to the municipality of Nova Gorica, the municipalities of Markovci, Celje, Komen, Radovljica, Domžale, Gornja Radgona, Novo Mesto and Radlje ob Drava were shortlisted. All the selected municipalities are distinguished by the active attitude of local communities towards the health of their residents and the understanding of health in the broadest sense of the word.
The merits of this year's Municipality of Health were highlighted by the head of the expert committee for the selection of the Municipality of Health - Radivoje Pribaković Brinovec, Ph.D. med., specialist, head of the Center for Management of Prevention and Health Promotion Programs at NIJZ.
The municipality of Nova Gorica stands out among the finalist municipalities with an extremely wide range of health activities and a clear orientation towards a community approach to health. Numerous structures and initiatives connect the municipality, residents, governmental and non-governmental organizations and support and implement a community approach to health. This is reflected both in the functioning of the Health Council and local action groups, as well as in the Healthy Cities project council. Co-decision-making by residents of Novogori on the use of municipal funds is already established. In the area of the green transition in Nova Gorica, they are already implementing measures in the field of sustainable mobility, with which they want to reduce the use of cars and the transition to other forms of transport.
The values of key health indicators have continuously improved in the Nova Gorica Ministry of Health in recent years, among which we highlight lower sick leave from work than elsewhere in Slovenia, a decrease in the suicide rate together with the appropriate consumption of drugs for the treatment of mental disorders, and a significant increase in responsiveness to the ZORA screening programs and DORA. This shows the availability and success of prevention programs in the local community. There are also fewer hospitalizations due to asthma in children and adolescents and injuries in transport accidents.
The municipality of Nova Gorica successfully strengthens the sense of community, promotes cultural, social and economic development and thus has a significant impact on the quality of life and health of its residents.
Read about the four regional winners - recipients of the Zlati kamen awards here .
