Four areas become WHO `safe communities'

Four communities will become part of the World Health Organization's (WHO) "Safe Communities Network" in an accreditation ceremony later this year.

Leif Svanstrom, head of the WHO's Collaborating Center on Community Safety Promotion, will come to Taiwan in October to present certificates to representatives from Neihu (內湖), Tungshih (東勢), Alishan (阿里山) and Fengbin (豐濱), which have been granted membership of the network.

According to the WHO Collaborating Center's definition, a "safe community" is a municipality, county or city that works to promote such things as the prevention of injury, violence and suicide.

Since 1989, over 85 safe communities have been established around the world. The four Taiwanese communities, which passed an examination from the WHO Collaborating Center this April, will bring the number to 89.

"We chose Neihu to stand for an urban community, as it has been growing rapidly, Tungshih to represent a agricultural community because it is famous for cultivating pears, Alishan to represent a mountain community where tourism has became its main feature, and Fengbin to represent a coastal community where people make their living from fishing. We hope to promote the idea of safe communities to the whole island," Wu Chun-ming (吳浚明), Chief of Bureau of Health Promotion said yesterday at a press conference.