Cities for Better Health program included in Danish royal couple’s state visit
Helsinki, 4 March 2025 – The cities of Turku and Kuopio and the Cities for Better Health partnership were part of the state visit program when King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark visited Merihaka.
As part of the state visit program, the Danish royal couple, together with the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb and Mrs Innes-Stubb, visited the Merihaka Population Shelter and started a floorball match between children from Turku and Kuopio. The children also presented the Queen and Mrs Innes-Stubb with a drawing message on the importance of physical activity.
The Royal couple and the President couple also met the leaders of the cities of Turku and Kuopio as part of the Cities for Better Health program.
Cities for Better Health
Cities for Better Health encourages cities to create vibrant and safe environments where children can play and grow up healthy.
In Turku, the program promotes the use of the city’s hobby card in urban areas where families and children need support the most. The program will also support low-threshold hobby groups.
The Cities for Better Health partnership, coordinated by Novo Nordisk, is a global network of more than 50 cities. The partnership works with residents and local partners to solve barriers to healthier living in cities.
The programmes are based on research on the significant impact of the urban environment on people’s health, particularly access to healthy food and opportunities for physical activity. This is a timely topic, as it is estimated that 70% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050.
