Cities for Better Health is a global public-private partnership committed to accelerating change in urban health across generations by building impactful local partnerships to drive health promotion and prevention.
Cities for Better Health takes a holistic view of health by
prioritising prevention and promoting health equity. Creating healthy
urban spaces is a shared responsibility.
Our ambition is
to address the root causes of chronic diseases in a holistic way by
bringing together motivated actors across sectors and disciplines.
At the core of our initiatives are the perspectives and
experiences of communities. Understanding their daily lives and
challenges to live healthily is key to generating lasting and
effective impacts on the prevention of chronic diseases.
Committed to closing the health equity gap in cities, we focus on the
health and well-being of vulnerable communities and children.
We strive to address barriers to health for disadvantaged
communities and break the cycle of chronic diseases through early
intervention and prevention of childhood obesity in vulnerable communities.
Not everyone can access fresh and affordable food or find safe places to walk and play. We address four core themes to drive health equity and enable citizens with the opportunity to make healthy choices:
Today, many children are growing up in obesogenic urban environments, impacting their opportunities to lead healthy lives. As many as 1 in 5 children are living with overweight or obesity , with children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds tending to face higher risks . Through the Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative, Cities for Better Health is working intensively with partners in six cities to co-design, implement, and evaluate packages of evidence-based interventions in disadvantaged communities to impact health outcomes for children.
Cities are challenged by a lack of access to affordable healthy foods
and an overabundance of unhealthy foods, forming key drivers of
chronic diseases. Cities for Better Health is working with partners
worldwide to ensure that healthy foods are affordable and accessible
for vulnerable populations and children.
Learn
more about our focus on access to healthy food
City residents often face barriers to safely move and play. Everyone
should benefit from physically active and engaging lives, regardless
of age, gender, ability or socio-economic status. Cities for Better
Health is taking action to make green and active spaces more
accessible and enjoyable and create better opportunities to be
physically active, with a special focus on vulnerable populations and
children.
Learn
more about our focus on access to physical activity
With only a small proportion of public and private health budgets
dedicated to prevention and health promotion, sustainable financing
solutions are needed. Cities for Better Health is working with
potential investors to find innovative funding strategies to ensure
actions to reduce health inequity are financed in the long term.
Learn
more about our focus on sustainable finance
The Healthy Cities Challenge is an open, global innovation challenge
launched in partnership with C40. Our aim is to identify and support
promising initiatives that work to shape urban environments in a way
that supports the health and well-being of local communities.
These could be projects that create healthier food
environments, urban planning that promotes physical activity and
mental health, or other city-based initiatives that facilitate healthy
living.
Learn
more about our innovation challenge
World Health Organization (WHO). Factsheet: Obesity and overweight. Updated June 2021. Accessed February, 2022. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
