Joined the programme in 2022
Mainz joined the Cities for Better Health network in July 2022. The partnership between Novo Nordisk Germany and the capital city of Rhineland-Palatinate is collaborating to promote actions that contribute to halt the rise of overweight and obesity in Mainz. The partners started with prevention activities for children and will seek further collaborations with other local stakeholders.
Mainz is the capital city of Rhineland-Palatinate. It has a population of around 200,000 people and although not a metropole like many other Cities for Better Health cities, its urban structures have a comparable influence on diabetes risk. With a diabetes prevalence of around 8%, Mainz is still below the national average (10.2%), but with an increasing trend and significant differences in prevalence between the districts.1
Key facts and figures
~ 8%
of adults in Mainz are living with diabetes1
The Cities for Better Health partners have committed to jointly and timely develop measures and activities that address the urban diabetes challenge in Mainz. The focus will be on prevention and awareness of diabetes among its citizens. Together with Novo Nordisk, Mainz is focusing primarily on activities to promote physical activity. Two projects to encourage children to exercise more have already been launched: a "school cycling" campaign and swimming courses for elementary school children.
In the long term, the aim is to provide further opportunities to promote health in Mainz. Projects will continue to focus on more exercise in everyday life with the potential to expand into activities to promote healthy eating and more awareness around diabetes in general.
Dr. Günter Neubauer, Christina Niedermeier, Katharina Wolfenstetter: Analyse der Diabetessituation in Mainz - Studie im Rahmen der Initiative Cities Changing Diabetes, April 2022.
