Improving urban health

Emphasizing urban health
Focusing on urban health

Description

Improving urban health involves implementing integrated measures to reduce pollution, enhance sanitation, ensure access to clean water, and promote healthy lifestyles in densely populated areas. This strategy targets the prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases by strengthening healthcare infrastructure, expanding green spaces, and improving housing conditions. Practical actions include urban planning reforms, community health programs, and policies addressing environmental hazards, aiming to create safer, healthier living environments for urban populations.

Context

Health in human settlements refers to all the dimensions of the wellbeing, illness and injury of a population that are influenced or determined by the ecological, biochemical, physical, geographical and social components of settlements and the surrounding countryside.

Implementation

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities.

The number of neighbourhoods in cities in the European Region with compound environmental, economic, health and other social problems has increased since 1989.