The UN's World Health Organistion has announced that World Health Day 2010 will have the theme "Urbanisation and Health". The International Healthy Parks Healthy People Congress 2010 has requested registration as an official "1000 Cities 1000 Lives" event.
The 1000 cities 1000 lives campaign encourages cities and individuals to work across multiple agencies with a wide range of partners to have the most lasting impact on health - a fitting match to the stated objectives of the Congress.
Over 3 billion people live in cities. In 2007, the world’s population living in cities surpassed 50% for the first time in history, and this proportion is growing. By 2030, six out of every 10 people will be city dwellers, rising to seven out of every 10 people by 2050. Urbanization is here to stay. It is an irreversible trend that is now part of the world in which we live.
The theme of “urbanization and health” was selected for World Health Day in recognition of the effect urbanization has on our collective health globally and for us all individually. Urbanization is associated with many health challenges related to water, environment, violence and injury, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors like tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol as well as the risks associated with disease outbreaks.
World Health Day objectives
World Health Day is meant to draw worldwide attention to the theme of urbanization and health and engage governments, international organizations, business and civil society in a shared effort to put health at the heart of urban policy. The objectives are:
- To raise awareness about the health challenges associated with urbanization and the pressing need to address them through urban planning and intersectoral action.
- To promote action around the health risks with the greatest impact on urbanization: (1) increased exposure to environmental factors (e.g. air pollution, water, sanitation, waste, etc); (2) increased exposure to risk factors leading to NCDs (e.g. tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol, illicit drug use); (3) increased exposure to communicable diseases (e.g. HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB, Pandemic influenza (H1N1)); (4) increased exposure to violence; (5) increased exposure to road traffic injuries; and 6) public health emergencies (e.g. epidemics, natural disasters, and humanitarian crises).
- To demonstrate the need for local city governments to take responsibility and action for health in urban settings and thus create a better quality of life for citizens, a better environment for attracting investment, and integrated public policies that can lead to sustainable development.
More information at: http://www.who.int/world-health-day/2010/en/index.html
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