• The program ‘Patios abiertos en plan bien’, developed by Spain’s Ministry of Health and the High Commission against Child Poverty, will open school playgrounds for underprivileged children to practice  physical activity during non-school hours with qualified personnel
• This initiative is part of Spain’s ‘National Strategic Plan for the Reduction of Childhood Obesity’ and is expected to reach some 500,000 children
• The program, developed in public schools, has started in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) and will expand to Alcorcón, A Coruña, Granada, Valladolid and Cáceres, with the aim of covering the whole country.
• China Three Gorges Europe has participated in this initiative as main sponsor, after joining the High Commission’s Zero Child Poverty Country Alliance’ earlier this year

Spain’s Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, the High Commissioner against Child Poverty, Ernesto Gasco, and the Mayor of Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Javier Rodríguez, have celebrated the presentation of the ‘Patios Abiertos en Plan Bien’ program, aimed at revitalizing children’s experiences in playgrounds and facilities of public schools during non-school hours and periods. A total of 500,000 children are expected to benefit from this program once it has been deployed in all its destinations.

The program, launched by the Ministry of Health and the High Commission, is part of the National Strategic Plan for the Reduction of Childhood Obesity developed by the High Commission and aims to promote healthy lifestyles in childhood, increase the supply of active educational leisure activities during non-school hours and periods, reduce inequalities in health and well-being among children and generate spaces that promote sociability and social cohesion.

The Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, highlight during the act that ‘Parios abiertos en plan bien’ is “an exciting project” for all. Alcalá de Henares leads the way for the many other municipalities that we hope will join this initiative. Thanks to the High Commissioner against Child Poverty and to the leadership of Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez, who has encouraged us to carry out this initiative. Cities are spaces for health , which is a responsibility forall of us in all areas, projects like this contribute to improving people’s lives”.

For his part, the High Commissioner against Child Poverty, Ernesto Gasco, highlighted the importance of this program to improve the health and wellbeing of children: “‘Patios abiertos En Plan Bien’ has all the key elements to reduce inequality, generate social cohesion and reduce child obesity, which is one of the great challenges we face as a country”.

Open patios for children

Through the ‘Patios abiertos en plan bien’ program, the Spanish government aims to combat childhood obesity, which affects a high number of vulnerable children in the country: the rate of excess weight is twice as high in the case of children in poverty.

Facilitating physical activity for kids in safe environments, while being accompanied and supervised by professionals, bringing healthy lifestyle habits closer to them and their families, and doing so in the educational centers of the neighborhoods where they live, will have a positive impact in the reduction of inequalities as well as on the health and well-being of children, especially those who need it most.

The program will start in public schools in Alcalá de Henares and will soon be extended to other public schools in Alcorcón, A Coruña, Granada, Valladolid and Cáceres, and will then be extended to the whole country. The first part of the project will be carried out through public-private financing with the participation of the municipalities involved, the Fundación CSAI, belonging to the Ministry of Health, China Three Gorges Europe and Loterías y Apuestas del Estadom also with collaboration of Novo Nordisk and Fundación Agbar.

In its second phase, the program will receive financing from the European Social Fund Plus.