The majority of people in the world now live in cities, so protecting the health and well-being of city dwellers is crucial. And cities are uniquely positioned to lead the fight to prevent noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries.
The Partnership for Healthy Cities is a global network of 70 cities doing just that. In March 2023, officials—including 13 mayors—from more than 50 cities met for the inaugural Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit in London to engage and exchange about their successes, challenges and ambitions.
Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, in partnership with the World Health Organization and Vital Strategies, the Partnership is made up of mayors and local leaders who are committed to leveraging proven interventions to make urban centers healthier and safer.
“In a post-pandemic world, city leaders are uniquely placed to take this work forward, shaping cities that promote and support good health,” summit hosts Mike Bloomberg and Sadiq Khan wrote in The Evening Standard, adding, “we know that when cities succeed, nations notice—and local policies can go national.”
During the summit in London, five cities were honored for making sustainable and lasting progress toward NCD and injury prevention. Athens, Greece; Bengaluru, India, Mexico City, Mexico; Montevideo, Uruguay and Vancouver, Canada were recognized for interventions that are helping to reduce overdose deaths, strengthen tobacco control and food standards, improve road safety and make public health data more accessible.
As the implementing partner, Vital Strategies plays a key role in the initiative, providing technical assistance, supporting communication and public relations efforts, and disbursing grants to the participating cities.
Indeed, cities are places where health can be produced with scalable solutions. At Vital Strategies, we are eager to continue our work supporting cities toward building equitable and effective public health systems for all.
José Luis Castro, President and CEO
Read
Now we must tackle the next frontier in public health: Mike Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London in The Evening Standard.
Trading Cars for Bikes: One Way Cities Are Improving Health: Dr. Kelly Henning, Public Health Program lead at Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Ariella Rojhani, Director of the Partnership for Healthy Cities at Vital Strategies in Global Health Now.
Five Cities Recognized for Public Health Achievements at Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit
Watch
Livestream of the inaugural Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit
See photos from the summit in London.