News
IT Carlow plays its part in launch of Ireland’s first Healthy Town
12/09/2012
Health and wellbeing programme brings together business and community
The Irish Times / Pfizer Healthy Town, an innovative collaboration between The Irish Times, Pfizer Healthcare Ireland and the civic and business community of Kilkenny will be launched later today to kick-off a 10-week programme of health and wellbeing initiatives. The programme combines health promotion events and physical activities to encourage people in Kilkenny to improve their health, with all events free of charge.
The programme also offers participating individuals free health checks of their BMI, cholesterol and blood pressure at the start and completion of the programme to track progress and impact. In line with the World Health Organisation initiative “WHO Healthy City,” the Irish Times / Pfizer Healthy Town aims to support “a healthy city (which) is conscious of health and striving to improve it..... one that continually creates and improves its physical and social environments and expands the community resources that enable people to mutually support each other.”
Health checks and evaluation of the initiative will be conducted by the Centre for Health Behaviour and Research at Waterford Institute of Technology and Carlow Institute of Technology in line with best practice.
“We are honoured that Kilkenny has been selected as the first location to host the Irish Times / Pfizer Healthy Town programme,” said Cllr Seán Ó hArgáin, Mayor of Kilkenny. “I’m delighted at the support from across the community and encourage people to take this great opportunity to get healthy and I look forward to leading this initiative actively by my own example.”
“The Irish Times / Pfizer Healthy Town brings together the best from our partners and ourselves at The Irish Times,” said Kevin O’Sullivan, Editor of The Irish Times. “Our readers in Kilkenny and beyond will benefit from good advice from experts in person, in the paper, particularly through the HEALTHplus supplement which is published on Tuesdays and on the website that equips them to lead healthier lives.”
David Gallagher, Managing Director, Pfizer Healthcare Ireland said, “Pfizer is committed to ‘working together for a healthier world’. Achieving and maintaining good health requires effort, hard-work and persistence. This can be a challenge with busy daily lives. Many leading health issues are now related to obesity and diabetes and these will only be addressed when communities construct their local environments in ways that promote health and when individuals take action.”
The Irish Times will feature the Irish Times / Pfizer Healthy Town in its weekly health supplement, HEALTHplus and in a specially designed Healthy Town microsite based on the main Irish Times website. The programme will also be promoted through local advertising and outreach.