Health services to be brought closer to residents in five Danish cities

A new project backed by Nordea-Fonden will bring healthcare services directly into the daily lives of residents in five Danish municipalities, DR reports.

The initiative, titled Pioner – Fælles om Lokal Sundhed, aims to provide easier access to health services for 45,000 people in Horsens, Holstebro, Brøndby, Rødovre, and Vejle. Services will be offered in familiar local settings such as residential buildings, grocery stores, or community centers, rather than traditional healthcare facilities.

Developed in collaboration between KL (Local Government Denmark) and BL (the Danish Regions), the project will offer smoking cessation courses, medical consultations, alcohol misuse counseling, and activities to combat loneliness. KL highlights that public housing areas face higher rates of chronic illness, mental health challenges, and social isolation.

“Some residents struggle to access existing health services, so we need to reverse the approach and bring these services closer to them,” said Dorte West, chair of KL’s Health and Elderly Committee.

The project runs from 2026 to 2031 with a total budget of nearly 90 million DKK, including approximately 65 million DKK from Nordea-Fonden. Successful local solutions may later be scaled nationally.