HEALTH AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS
TREATED IN KARLSTADT

Eleven participants from Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden took part in the regular meeting of the Commission on Health & Social Affairs on 23-24 March 2001, in Karlstadt. We were warmly welcomed by the Mayor of Karlstad Ms Lena Melesjö-Windahl and Lars Näsström the quality manager of the health and medical care.

All participants exchanged their experiences in the field of youth work, care for the elderly and handicapped. Two Study Visits in a Care Home for elderly and handicapped and a Home and working place for mentally handicapped offered by the City of Karlstad completed our programme. The UBC Commission on Health and Social Affairs introduced the participants to its main fields of activities like project work in the past, ideas for future activities, publications of the Commission, networking. We explained the ongoing projects and invited everyone to take part in it. We invited to and informed about the thematic day of the UBC General Conference 'Social Justice in the Baltic Sea Region', 12 October. We talked about the workshop topics like Social-Labour Market and Gender Equality Policy in Municipalities from the Enlargement Perspective, Participation of Children and Youth, Health and Equality for Everybody and every participant will be searching in their own communities for speakers who could contribute to the workshops as well as to the elaboration of a conference resolution - a Social Charter. Ulla Näsman from Sundsvall will be the one.

One of our important tasks like distributing duties and responsibilities of the commission's network could not be carried out.