Six new cities will join the Partnership for Healthy Cities network, an initiative to create safer and healthier urban environments, taking the total number of member cities to 70. Bloomberg Philanthropies has also renewed commitment to its flagship initiative with an additional $31m investment.
The new cities are Bucharest, Romania; Cairo, Egypt; Córdoba, Argentina; Dublin, Ireland; Greater Manchester, UK; and Warsaw, Poland.
Non-communicable diseases
Launched in 2017 as part of Michael Bloomberg’s role as the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) global ambassador for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries, Partnership for Healthy Cities is a collaboration with WHO and Vital Strategies, a global public health organisation.
This network, now comprising 70 cities, supports mayors implementing proven, high-impact policies or programmes to reduce NCDs and injuries in their communities. NCDs such as heart disease, diabetes and respiratory diseases, and injuries, including road traffic crashes, cause an estimated 80 per cent of deaths across the globe each year.
In 2020, the partnership also incorporated support for cities’ Covid-19 response. The latest pledge brings the total amount of funding by Bloomberg Philanthropies to the Partnership for Healthy Cities to $52m.
“The health and wellbeing of billions of people depends to a large degree on the urban environments in which they live and work,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general, World Health Organisation.
“WHO applauds Bloomberg Philanthropies’ leadership and ongoing support for the Partnership for Healthy Cities, as well as the commitment of all the cities in the partnership. We stand ready to support this important work for the next four years to create cities that nurture health, rather than harming it.”
As part of the partnership, the Cairo Governate will work on making healthier food options available for people eating in city restaurants. Dublin City Council will expand a pedestrian access and safety audit with the goal of transforming the street and sidewalks to be more friendly to people, not cars.
The city of Córdoba will initially focus on Covid-19 vaccine outreach to older adults who have difficulty reading and writing or are hesitant about being vaccinated. Bucharest, Greater Manchester, and Warsaw will announce their health or safety projects soon.
“I am so greatly honored today that Cairo is joining the Partnership for Healthy Cities network,” said Khaled Abdel-Aal, governor of Cairo. “We look forward to benefiting from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ expertise, as well as other cities’ experiences, to ensure that best international practices are reflected in our efforts.”
“On behalf of our residents, Córdoba is proud to be able to participate in the Partnership for Healthy Cities,” said Martín Llaryora, intendant of Córdoba. “We remain focused on the health of the people of Córdoba. We believe that joining the partnership will propel our city into a healthier future, helping us make a qualitative leap in preventing the spread of Covid-19 and return to normalcy in the healthiest way.”
In the Partnership for Healthy Cities, local governments select from one of 14 interventions that address issues like tobacco control, road safety, safe and active mobility, healthy food, data surveillance, or overdose prevention. City staff are provided technical assistance, communications support, grants of up to $100,000, workshops, and access to in-person and virtual peer-to-peer exchanges that support collaboration and sharing of lessons learned about areas of urban health and safety.
“Cities have long served as drivers of public health, a distinction which holds even more importance as urban areas stand to absorb up to 68 per cent of the world’s population by 2050,” added José Luis Castro, president and CEO of Vital Strategies.
“Although the heavy toll of NCDs and injuries remains a challenge, we celebrate the remarkable progress made by cities in the partnership. “Our global network is leading the way to make big, systemic changes to improve the health and safety of urban residents around the world.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Technology Express staff and is published from a syndicated fee)
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