Not only did coronavirus change nearly every possible aspect of our lives in the past year, but it also made more of us better aware of our environment and its importance as part of an active and healthy lifestyle. The travel restrictions and the lockdowns in our current reality have led many to rediscover the 100 meters or 1 kilometer radius around their homes: outdoor exercise facilities, walking trails, community gardens, parks, and more. Additionally, the health departments and health coordinators became more dominant in the urban sphere this year, especially due to their involvement in implementing the regulations and restrictions determined by the government and for coping with them, and in many cases in customizing the contents, publications and enforcement measures to render them more suitable to their cities and the lives of the various communities in them.

The national program Efsharibari has launched already in 2018, a unique move to engage municipalities and provide them with budgetary and professional support: "Efsharibari in the City." Within the framework of this project, the Ministry of Health allocates some resources to on-the-scene players in the city and neighborhood levels who know best the local communities' needs and characteristics and adapt activities to be more effective for them. This is another step towards enhancing urban interactions and health. "Efsharibari in the City" harnesses municipalities for accelerating health-promoting processes in the public sphere in Israel.

Therefore, it is a matter of great importance that despite the coronavirus pandemic, "Efsharibari in the City" continues to develop. The current call to action (December 2020) was designed to allow municipalities to receive support from the Ministry of Health for establishing programs promoting an active and healthy lifestyle for their residents and expanding existing programs, and for including programs suitable for the coronavirus daily living situation in their agenda for the year 2021, with an emphasis on physical activity, healthy nutrition, smoking-free environment and increasing the resilience of high-risk populations.

The criteria for joining "Efsharibari in the City" and participating in the program include, among other things: the mayor's commitment to lead the program; employing a task-specific health coordinator; the existence of an active steering committee for promoting health; an annual work plan themed around an active and healthy lifestyle; the mayor's and the treasurer's commitment to continue the activities and meet professional standards.

In addition to financial support, the Ministry of Health also provides municipalities with professional mentoring by the staff from Efsharibari national program, the Health Education and Promotion Department, the Nutrition Department, the health bureaus, the public health services, and the Geriatrics Department, as well as by the Healthy Cities Network in the Local Government Center.

Participant municipalities in alphabetical order, socio-economic ranking and number of residents

For Further Information

Call for Action 12380 for Supporting Municipalities, "Efsharibari in the City" 2020 (in Hebrew)
"Efsharibari in the City" Guidebook for Municipalities (in Hebrew)