Urbanisation has brought about changes to the lifestyle and living environment of city dwellers. Social and environmental changes such as population growth, polluted air and water, crowded housing, traffic congestion, and shift work, are intertwined and affect the health of people in cities. In addition, the development of advanced transportation system facilitates breakouts of infectious diseases among urban populations.

WHO Healthy Cities Approach

The Healthy Cities approach was initiated and promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to cope with the adverse effects of an urban environment on health. The WHO encourages local governments to incorporate health issues and concerns into all aspects of public policy and to also closely work with the private sector such as companies and non-government organisations. Solutions to urban health problems require the effective and active involvement of non-health sectors (e.g. industry, transport, labour, education, commerce/trade, urban planning, etc.), as well as non-governmental organisations, the private sector, and the community.

The overall strategy employed by the Healthy Cities initiative is to generate intersectoral action and community participation to integrate health protection and health promotion activities. Cities are regarded as the most suitable players to plan and implement Healthy Cities projects because the projects have to be orientated to the local context to foster participation from the local community thus ensuring success.

Alliance for Healthy Cities

The Alliance for Healthy Cities is an international network that aims to protect and enhance the health of city dwellers through the Healthy Cities approach initiated by the WHO. Its members include municipal governments, national governments, NGOs, private sectors, academic institutions and international agencies.

Through its activities, the Alliance promotes interaction among its members, exchange of information and experiences, research development, capacity building programmes, and Healthy Cities programmes to create sustainable cities with the focus on health.

In conjunction with the World Cities Summit, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention of the Singapore Health Promotion Board is organising a one-day sharing session entitled “Healthy Cities for a Sustainable Future” on 23 June 2008 as a co-located event of the Summit. The objective of the session is  to engage and highlight the important role that Mayors, government agencies and non-government organisations play in building “healthy communities” within their districts/cities/countries.

Participants will learn more about the:

• WHO Healthy Cities Approach
• Successful Healthy Cities initiatives that various countries have implemented
• Key roles played by Mayors, government agencies and NGOs in Healthy Cities

Who Will Be Attending

Participants include city mayors, government officials, policy makers, senior officials from international organisations and NGOs from Singapore and countries in the Western Pacific and Asia Pacific Regions.

Registration

Please download the registration form and email or fax the completed form to
Email: hpb_whocc@hpb.gov.sg or Fax: +65 6536 0143

Contact Information

Ms Sharleen Tan
Tel: +65 6435 3152
Email: sharleen_tan@hpb.gov.sg

Ms Liu Siew-Nah
Tel: +65 6435 3176
Email: liu_siew_nah@hpb.gov.sg