World Health Day,
April 7th 2002

Award to Outstanding Cities and Municipalities for Improving Public Spaces for Recreation and Promoting Physical Activity in the Americas

Applications are in!

As of the contest deadline on April 26, PAHO and CDC are pleased to announce that 142 qualified applications have been received for the Active Cities Contest!

Of those, 136 are from Central and South American countries - municipalities located in both urban metropolitan areas and the rural regions.

Review Process

All completed applications were entered into an EpiInfo6 database. All variables were coded and assigned a numeric value based upon a point system developed by The Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports. Based on the points accrued, applications that scored in the top third (n=51), were individually reviewed by the Pre-Selection Committee from the PAHO Food and Nutrition Program and the CDC Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity. This process allowed for careful examination of supporting documents (e.g. documentation on characteristics of roadways, bike paths, sidewalks, recreational greens, sport facilities, etc.) and follow-up contact with applicants for further clarifications, as necessary.

Selection Process

Guided by the results of the preliminary quantitative and qualitative review process, the winners of the Contest will be selected by the Selection Committee, consisting of the following members:

Dr. David McQueen, Associate Director of Global Health, CDC
Dr. David Brandling-Bennett, Deputy Director, PAHO
Dr. Maria Teresa Cerqueira, Director of the Division of Health Promotion and Protection, PAHO
Professor Thomas Downs, Director, Smart Growth, University of Maryland

Winners of the Contest will be announced on: June 5, 2002

Award

The winners will also be honored by the international community during an Award Ceremony at the Health Promotion Forum in the Americas held in Santiago, Chile, on October 20-24, 2002. Each awarded city will receive a commemorative plaque, recognizing their outstanding achievement. Monetary prizes will be awarded to the first and second place winners from the Category One countries (i.e. Latin American and the Caribbean countries), $2500 and $1500 respectively. Select cities may also receive special recognition for outstanding exemplary achievements in specific areas within the contest application. PAHO and CDC will also publicize the achievements of the awarded cities in the press and publications of the regional and local media.

Purpose of the Contest:
In celebration of the World Health Day 2002: "Move for Health!", which was dedicated to the promotion of Physical Activity, the Pan American Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are co-sponsoring an award to recognize the outstanding cities and municipalities in the Region of the Americas for their efforts in improving public spaces for safe recreation and promoting physical activity. This activity is part of the global healthy municipalities and communities movement.

This contest was founded on the understanding that an active lifestyle is one of the best investments for individual and community health. Regular physical activity, even of moderate intensity, reduces the risk of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, osteoporosis, colon cancer and obesity. The benefits, however, go well beyond those of disease prevention. And although the health benefits of physical activity are well known, two out of every three persons living in an urban area lead sedentary lifestyles. Physical inactivity is a serious public health problem that results in adverse health outcomes and increased health care costs. In addition to the need for lifestyle modification, environmental, social and policy changes are necessary to increase physical activity in the population. Access to public spaces for safe recreation and activity is crucial and has a major influence in promoting a physically active lifestyle.

To read more about the contest rules, see: Active Cities Contest