Gwangyang City Awarded Best Institution at 2021 Integrated Health Promotion Project Performance Competition

Public Praise for Contributions to Promoting Walking Culture and Improving Citizen Health Awareness

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik] The Gwangyang City Public Health Center in Jeollanam-do announced that it will receive the Minister of Health and Welfare Award as the Best Institution at the ‘2021 Community Integrated Health Promotion Project Performance Competition’ hosted by Jeollanam-do and organized by the Integrated Health Promotion Project Support Group on December 15.

The Integrated Health Promotion Project Performance Competition evaluates the plans, operations, and achievements of the integrated health promotion projects from 22 cities and counties last year, selects excellent institutions, and aims to share achievements and spread best practices through case presentations.

Due to the spread of COVID-19, the performance competition will be held non-face-to-face, with an online opening ceremony and excellent case presentations via ZOOM, and awards will be delivered individually.

The city was highly evaluated for its contribution to creating a walking practice atmosphere using ICT technology in the COVID-19 era and improving citizen health promotion in 2021, following an excellent evaluation in the healthy lifestyle practice project field last year.

To improve the low walking practice rate and obesity rate, the city signed a business agreement with Swalabi Co., Ltd. in January to promote a walking culture, and has been encouraging continuous walking practice by holding various walking challenges through the mobile walking app WalkOn.

About 6,000 citizens participated in 13 events including the Gwangyang Historical and Cultural Exploration Stamp Tour Challenge, the Donation Challenge with the Gwangyang City Community Security Council, the Ssudam Challenge for Environment and Health, the Obesity Prevention Challenge, the Youth Health Walking Mileage, and the GPS-based Baegunsan Dullegil Walking Challenge.

Additionally, by expanding walking self-help villages, the city operates ‘Let’s Walk Around the Neighborhood Together,’ encouraging residents to actively participate in walking and share their activities. Each month, a ‘Walking King of Our Neighborhood’ is selected to motivate participants, and at the end of December, the final walking kings of the towns and townships will be selected and awarded.

As a result of various efforts to promote walking, the current number of WalkOn community members exceeds 6,520, surpassing the target achievement rate by 30%. The WalkOn walking practice rate is maintained above 50% every month, and subjective health perception has increased by 12.7% compared to the previous year.

Lee Hyang, the Health Promotion Team Leader, said, “We will continue to discover and promote integrated health promotion projects necessary for local residents and strive to improve the health level of local residents and create a healthy community atmosphere.”

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr