Cities play an integral role in population health and have access to different financial tools to fund noncommunicable disease prevention programs, according to experts attending last month’s Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit in Paris.
“Cities have this incredibly important role in creating an enabling environment for health — that might be a physical environment like the air that we breathe, or the streets that we walk along, but it might also be the behavioral environment, in terms of what choices people make and what choices they can make,” explained Susannah Robinson, technical officer on urban health and NCD prevention at the World Health Organization.
NCDs, including cancers, diabetes, and heart disease, are responsible for 82% of premature deaths globally. Meanwhile, over half the world’s population, 4.2 billion people, live in urban areas, with that number expected to rise to 68% by 2050. Cities often amplify major NCD risk factors, such as air pollution, access to unhealthy foods, and limited space for physical activity.
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Rebecca L. Root
Rebecca L. Root is a freelance reporter for Devex based in Bangkok. Previously senior associate & reporter, she produced news stories, video, and podcasts as well as partnership content. She has a background in finance, travel, and global development journalism and has written for a variety of publications while living and working in Bangkok, New York, London, and Barcelona.
