The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged governments and city leaders to transform urban areas into engines of health, equity and sustainability as the world marks World Cities Day.
More than 4.4 billion people – over half the global population – now live in urban areas, a number expected to reach 70% by 2050. WHO warned that while cities offer opportunities for progress, they also concentrate major health risks, especially in slums and informal settlements, where 1.1 billion people face unsafe housing, poor sanitation, and growing exposure to climate threats such as floods and heat.
To address these challenges, WHO launched a new guide titled “Taking a Strategic Approach to Urban Health,” offering practical tools for governments to plan and act more coherently across sectors.
The framework emphasszes evidence-based policymaking to improve urban health, reduce inequalities, and promote sustainability.
“This is a moment for decision-makers at every level to act together,” said Jeremy Farrar, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Care.
“The guide provides a framework for leaders and communities to build fairer, healthier and more resilient futures.”
WHO highlighted stark urban health inequalities, citing a study of 363 cities in Latin America that found life expectancy gaps of up to 14 years for men and 8 years for women between the healthiest and least healthy cities.
Urban residents face multiple overlapping risks – from air pollution, which kills 7 million people annually, to unsafe transport, poor housing, and infectious disease outbreaks.
The organisation stressed that health is not the responsibility of one sector alone, calling for alignment between urban planning, climate action, transport, and digital transformation policies.
“Cities are key to advancing public health,” said Dr. Etienne Krug, WHO Director for Health Determinants, Prevention and Promotion.
“This guide offers governments a roadmap to act strategically, linking urban health with climate, transport, and migration issues.”
Alongside the guide, WHO also unveiled the first three modules of a new Urban Health E-learning Course, hosted by the WHO Academy, to build the capacity of urban policymakers and practitioners worldwide.