Hamina builds a smoother path to well-being for families – the Eeli project responds to the region's health challenges

General

The City of Hamina is developing lifestyle and exercise advice for children, young people and families as part of the Eeli project being implemented in Kymenlaakso. The goal is that every family will receive support for healthy lifestyles in a timely and easy manner.

Why is development work necessary?

The health and well-being of the population of Kymenlaakso is currently facing a serious challenge. Statistics show that the need for change is great:

  • Immobility: Almost 100,000 people in Kymenlaakso do not exercise enough for their health.
  • Children's fitness: According to MOVE! measurements, the physical functioning of 5th graders in Kymenlaakso is weaker than the national level.
  • Health differences: The prevalence of lifestyle diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, is higher in our region than in the rest of the country.

The City of Hamina is responding to these challenges by creating new types of low-threshold services that reach families in their own everyday lives.

What is being developed in Hamina?

In Hamina, the project focuses particularly on lifestyle and exercise advice for children, young people and families. The core of the development work is:

  • Extended advice: The current exercise counseling model will be developed more broadly, also focusing on lifestyle.
  • Smooth path to services: We are building a clear path from social services to the city's sports and lifestyle advice.
  • Residents included: We design services in collaboration with various professionals and families – the residents' voices are heard in workshops and surveys.
  • Detective work: We are developing ways to reach families who need support but may have been excluded from services until now.

The strategy behind the development

The development work implements the strategy of the City of Hamina, which emphasizes prevention and inclusion. The work is part of a broader EELI – exploratory lifestyle guidance in Kymenlaakso project, which is funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health's Health for Health program. The EELI project is implemented in cooperation with the Kymenlaakso welfare region, the cities of Hamina, Kotka and Kouvola, as well as the Kouvola Memory Association and the Kymenlaakso Sports Association.

For more information and contact information: 

Jaana Mattila Project Coordinator, EELI project, City of Hamina, jaana.mattila@hamina.fi

tel.040 6117361 (Wed and Thu 9 am-15 pm) 

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