– We gained a lot of enthusiasm for future HEPRO work. We learnt how to win partners through healthy actions and programs, to gather feedback about health and social conditions, to encourage a community to engage in its own health conditions and work to improve them, a participant at the annual HEPRO conference commented.

The conference took place in Sarpsborg from November 13 to 15, 2006, in cooperation with the Østfold County Council. Mr. Arne Øren, the council’s mayor, opened the proceedings by emphasising the im-portance of a sustainable development and the well being of the citizens in order to develop the Baltic Sea Region. He also highlighted the importance of using cooperation and networks in order to gain a more sustainable future in the region.

The aim of the conference was to create enthusiasm about HEPRO, to exchange knowledge and infor-mation and to receive feedback from the participants about the project and its processes. The partici-pants could attend both lectures and work shops. The sessions focused on developing a sustainable pub-lic health policy based on the principles of a systematic approach: The Planning Circle. Questions about communicative planning and health surveys were also discussed.

The participants at the conference represented different sectors of the municipality administration. Several politicians were also present.

Pictures from the conference:

Mr. Arvid Wangberg, project manager.

On the evening participants of the meeting got a possibility to hear about the history of Fredrikstad municipality.

Niels Kr. Rasmussen from Danish National Institute of Public Heath spoke about health profiles in the conference.

Partners shared their experiences about site visits that they have done during the HEPRO project.