HR4ALL

7 partners and 1 associated policy authority from 4 European regions (Denmark, Netherland, Slovenia and Spain) are working together in project "Healthy Regions 4 All" (HR4All) to address a common challenge: how to adapt/implement new policies that tackle the multifactorial dimensions of obesity and its societal implications.

Obesity is a major health and social problem which has been increasingly recognized as a multifactorial disease. Indeed, obesity has been associated with a higher risk of depression, stigmatization, decreased productivity and unemployment. Yet, the policy instruments addressed by HR4All fall short in systematically integrating key dimensions e.g. mental health condition, social status and even health literacy of the patient´s community – into its main objectives/targets.

Therefore, the overall objective of HR4All is to empower regional policy authorities with regard to health, inclusion and rehabilitation policies targeting vulnerable groups, identifying innovative solutions and integrating them in the partner regions. Through HR4All, we seek to improve the partner understanding of the multifactorial dimensions of obesity to effectively develop policy measures/actions focused on the integration of a psychosomatic approach in the patient care structure, while addressing inclusion with vocational training.

The interregional learning process and activities in the HR4All project are designed to foster the exchange of practices, experiences and knowledge and increase the capacities of partners and stakeholders involved, taking as a basis the policy instruments to be improved in the project. A diverse range of activities is planned both at the interregional and at the regional level, ensuring an integrated learning process that actively engages key stakeholders from each region’s ecosystem e.g. policy makers, hospitals, health institutions and patient organizations.