Center za zdravje in razvoj Murska Sobota- Centre for Health and Development Murska Sobota

Regional Institute of Public Health Murska Sobota has established Centre for Health and Development in June 2005 after receiving approval by the government of Republic of Slovenia. Foundation of Centre for Health and Development followed the need to give structural base to interdisciplinary team of experts, who work in the implementation of Investment for Health and Development (IFH) concept in the region of Pomurje for the past 7 years. The Centre is working regionally, however developing strategies and concepts for the national level in the field of IFH as well. At present the Centre employs six experts in the field of food science and nutrition, physical activity, project management, product development, marketing and supply chain management, and one person for administrative support, who represent only part of its capacity. The external expert team involves many professionals from more than 20 partner institutions that are part of the Investment for Health and Development in Pomurje- MURA network and work in the field of health promotion, spatial planning, agriculture, tourism, nature protection and education. In the year 2006 at the Ministerial Conference on talking obesity in Europe we received an award for the example of best practice how to involve different sectors to work together towards health.
Since its establishment Centre is working predominantly on interdisciplinary projects financed locally: capacity building in local communities, awareness raising campaigns; nationally: concept and tool-kits development, capacity building on regional level, transfer of good practices; EU- wide: cross-border projects with Austria and Hungary in the field of health promotion and tourism development in nature protected areas, trans-national projects in the field of public health (HealthClusterNet) tourism and product development in nature protected areas (GREEN BELT – Protection and valorisation of the longest habitat system in Europe).
Centre coordinates extensive network of Nordic walking guides in Pomurje, develops Nordic walking as tourist product and is national contact point for Slovene Tourist Board in the field of Nordic walking. Coordination, product development, quality control and promotion of Nordic walking runs the Centre for Nordic walking of Pomurje, which is part of the Centre. Recently Centre is becoming recognised as regional coordinator of planning activities for walking and cycling tourist product development in the Pomurje region.

Important part of the work is linked to development of organic agriculture and local food products. We are promoting and developing short food supply chains in order to support local economy and to decrease food transport miles.

Contact:
Tatjana Buzeti
CHD M. Sobota
Arhitekta Novaka 2b, 9000 Murska Sobota, Slovenia
Tel:++386 2 530 21 27
Fax:++386 2 530 21 19
tatjana.buzeti@czr.si

http://www.czr.si/sl/