The strategy of Municipalities, Cities, and Healthy Communities (MCS) characterizes the local implementation of one of the most effective health promotion initiatives.

Their mission is to strengthen the implementation of the health promotion activities and the protection in the local area, placing health promotion as the highest priority of the political agenda; involving governmental authorities and the community, promoting dialogues, sharing knowledge and experiences; and, in addition, promoting collaboration among municipalities, cities, and communities. Considering health as quality of life, the MCS actions are more directed toward the health determinant factors rather than toward the results of the disease. Eventually, the aim is to facilitate the processes, so that the people can improve their living conditions.

A healthy municipality is an association that after having achieved a social agreement among the representatives of the civil society organizations, the institutions, and the political authorities, commits and executes health activities to improve the quality of life of the population.

The MCS strategy also has in mind the establishment and strengthening of partnerships among local authorities, community members and other sectors. To establish a municipality, city, or healthy community, a vision toward the future of an environment and healthy community is necessary as well as the willingness to change attitudes, how to promote health through public health policy-making, legislation, services and programs that usually provide the necessary support for the achievement of this vision.

We hope that the web site supports the MCS strategy, allows the exchange of information, experiences, and publications among all the actors working at the national and local level in their countries, as well as strengthens the collaboration among countries and the development of new alliances.

Among the available PAHO instruments for strengthening and promoting MCS in the Region we have:

Bulletin: The MCS Network Bulletin of the Americas is issued three times during the year and offers an opportunity for the dissemination of information on experiences, events, and country proceedings in the Region.

Database: The function of the MCS database is to systematize and register the on-going activities in the country; and promote the sharing of experiences, lessons learned, initiatives, and instruments.

Electronic list: The electronic list of the MCS Network of the Americas, in charge of the Healthy Settings Unit of the Pan American Health Organization, has as its primary goal the promotion of the MCS experiences and good practices, the strengthening of the capacities for the implementation of the MCS strategy, as well as the establishment of practical debates and mutual collaboration between members and municipalities.