In addition to genetic factors, human health is influ¬enced by many other exogenous factors: environ¬mental set-up, housing conditions, education, public services, social security, protection of people, etc. Health improvement and the creation of potentials for good health before health problems and vulner¬ability appear are the fundamental determinants of health promotion. The World Health Organization advocates health promotion and providing healthy surroundings that would allow the maximal expression of all human potentials (mental, physical, social, spiritual). The aim of this article was to examine the association of environmental factors that affect mental and physical health. By a series of public health pro¬grams, there is an attempt to preserve health from the earliest beginning of life – from its conceivement. Negative environmental factors present in the early phases of childhood may produce far-reaching consequences for the entire life. Critical groups include elderly people, homeless, migrants, persons with special needs and those living on the margin of poverty. The reorientation of the health system is necessary, so that its focus is moved toward the individual and community, and to strengthen the culture oriented to health and prevention, not to disease. The coop¬eration and linking inside the sector and with other sectors by the creation of partnerships and networks is unavoidable. There are many examples of the Healthy Cities project that contributed to the wellbeing of citizens on the level of city administration.; Na zdravlje čovjeka, osim genskih, utječu i brojni drugi vanjski čimbenici: stanje okoliša, uvjeti stanovanja, obrazovanje, javne službe, socijalna sigurnost, zaštita građana itd. Temeljne su odrednice promicanja zdravlja unaprjeđenje zdravlja i stvaranje potencijala za dobro zdravlje, prije nego što se pojave zdravstveni problemi ili ugroženost zdravlja. Svjetska zdravstvena organizacija zalaže se za promociju zdravlja i osiguranje zdrave okoline koja omogućuje maksimalno ostvarenje svih ljudskih potencijala (mentalnih, fizičkih, socijalnih, duhovnih...). Cilj ovog članka bio je ispitati povezanost čimbenika okoliša koji utječu na mentalno i fizičko zdravlje. Nizom javnozdravstvenih programa pokušava se sačuvati zdravlje od najranijeg početka života – od njegova začeća. Negativni čimbenici okoliša prisutni u ranim fazama djetinjstva mogu proizvesti dalekosežne posljedice za cijeli život. Kritične skupine uključuju starije ljude, beskućnike, migrante, osobe s posebnim potrebama i one koji žive na rubu siromaštva. Preusmjeravanje zdravstvenog sustava nužno je da bi se njegov fokus premjestio na pojedinca i zajednicu te da bi se ojačala kultura orijentirana na zdravlje i prevenciju, a ne na bolest. Nužna je suradnja i povezivanje unutar sektora i drugih sektora stvaranjem partnerstva i mreža. Mnogo je primjera projekta Zdravi gradovi koji su pridonijeli boljitku građana na razini gradske uprave.