Hepro Community is an information channel for public health projects that seek to build bridges between public health workers, planners, politicians, researchers and education systems in the Baltic Sea Region.

The projects are based on several common challenges among the partners involved:

• The knowledge and skills that research and education systems possesses is not implemented sufficient in community planning, policy development and in practical action and service.
• The projects are also working to put public health higher on the agenda among partners. It is a common challenge that long-term prevention and health promotion are given lower priority than short-term challenges.
• There is also room for improvement in getting different disciplines, sectors and levels to cooperate in public health work, particularly in efforts to address social determinants of health.

The projects are anchored among partners involved in the WHO Healthy Cities movement. They are all trying to make public health work more evidence based and develop innovative tools to be used in prevention and health promotion.

The projects have received financial support from external donors, such as INTERREG and the European Commission.

Østfold County Council has the editorial responsibility of www.heprocom.net.