Kempen (Eurotoday) – Towns across the Kempen region in Belgium have joined the Gezondheidsmakers Kempen initiative, spearheaded by Lieselot Wynants, by signing a health charter aimed at boosting well-being. The program focuses on encouraging exercise, creating smoke-free environments, supporting mental health, and offering preventive healthcare efforts such as the well-known 10,000 steps campaign.
According to Wynants, Gezondheidsmakers Kempen strives to create healthy environments where people are supported in making positive lifestyle choices. A “healthy town,” she says, doesn’t just inform citizens about health — it actively makes it easier for them to live healthily through infrastructure and community support.
This involves improving public spaces to promote physical activity, organizing events to raise health awareness, and ensuring that mental and physical well-being are foundational goals of local governance. By signing the charter, each participating municipality commits to a long-term vision of improving public health.
“Everyone is encouraged by the municipality to live healthier,” says Wynants.
How is Gezondheidsmakers Kempen helping improve community health?
Gezondheidsmakers works closely with each town to identify their unique public health challenges and tailor support accordingly. One central initiative is the 10,000 steps campaign, designed to promote daily physical activity among residents. However, the work doesn’t stop there. The organization highlights that health promotion is an ongoing effort.
Additional initiatives include raising awareness about mental health, campaigning against vaping, expanding smoke-free zones, and supporting cancer awareness and prevention. According to Gezondheidsmakers, scaling up these efforts helps ensure that preventive healthcare measures become permanently embedded in local policy.
While Flemish residents today enjoy longer life expectancies than in the past, this also comes with greater risks of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer. That’s why prevention is so important, notes Wynants. Investing in preventive care not only improves individual well-being but also relieves pressure on healthcare systems.
Wynants believes local governments are ideally positioned to lead health initiatives because they understand the specific needs of their communities. By making health a central priority, municipalities can help residents live healthier, happier, and longer lives.
Gezondheidsmakers is an organization based in Flanders that partners with towns, schools, and healthcare institutions to design and implement health-promoting programs. It supports local governments by offering guidance and helping them take decisive action on health strategies.
At the heart of its approach is the health charter, a roadmap for municipalities committed to long-term wellness policies. These initiatives can range from promoting physical activity and healthy diets to enhancing mental health services and environmental conditions.
Gezondheidsmakers collaborates directly with towns to make sure these policies are not only implemented effectively but also become part of the fabric of everyday community life.
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