Rola jednostek samorządu terytorialnego w budowaniu potencjału obszarów metropolitalnych w zakresie promocji zdrowia
The role of local government units in building the capacity of metropolitan areas for health promotion

Summary/Abstract: A metropolis or a metropolitan area as a form of socio-economic development is a place of accumulation of human, financial, and organisational potentials that can contribute to the improvement of health indicators of the population. Thus, it can be assumed that a properly implemented health policy should take into account the specificity of these areas in order to take advantage of their pro-development potential and prevent adverse events. The study is related to public management in metropolises and metropolitan areas in the field of health.The purpose of the study was to determine the place of individual local government units in the competencies of metropolitan areas, with a particular focus on health promotion tasks. In the study, the healthcare system was understood, in accordance with the definition of the World Health Organization, as a set of activities aimed at promoting, restoring, and maintaining health, while public health is understood as science and activities undertaken to prevent diseases, prolong life, and promote health.Conclusions were drawn on the basis of a pilot study carried out in the GZM Metropolis and the Metropolitan Area of Gdańsk – Gdynia – Sopot. Because the actions taken by local government units may vary depending on the adopted organisational and legal form, the article contains an analysis of the formal situation of individual units and the functional situation in terms of the organisation of the healthcare system.There is a great organisational potential in metropolitan activities in numerous areas of social life. Nevertheless, as the results of our own research have shown, in the case of the area of healthcare and public health, there is still much to be done.Despite the revealed deficits, both in metropolitan areas and in the local government units themselves, there is also a considerable potential in the implementation of activities in the field of health. Recommendations include taking actions to better use the available potentials in individual state policies, with particular emphasis on the regional health policy, which should translate into an increase in the health potential of the indicated communities.

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