HEPA Macedonia is founded on 11 October 2005 in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, because there was a need for quick action to implement the HEPA Europe strategy associated with the implementation of the WHO Resolution WHA 57.16 on ”Health Promotion and Healthy Lifestyle”, WHA 57.17 on “Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health” and the A/RES/58/5 on “Sport as a means to promote Education, Health, Development and Peace”.
Health promotion through physical activity was a trigger within the “WHO CINDI program” (Countrywide Integrated Noncommunicable Disease Interventions), a National program for chronic disease prevention, control and health promotion in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (2001 – 2005). (www.cindi.makedonija.com).
The first step was initiated in collaboration between the Macedonian CINDI Program (National coordinator, Simovska, V.) and WHO/HQ Department for NCDs prevention and health promotion participating as 4th country in the “Move for Health 2003 Initiative Around the World” <www.who.int/entity/moveforhealth/countries/en/mfh03_macedonia.pdf.
HEPA Europe is a World Health Organization/Europe project, consistent with the goals of its “Programs on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity” as well as on “Transport and Health”, which include the promotion of physical activity across the life course and in all settings, including sustainable transport. In the “Tartu call for a healthy lifestyle”, launched in September 2017, European commissioners Navracsics, Andriukaitis and Hogan agreed on several actions to promote healthy lifestyles.