Local health observatories
Urban health observatories: A possible solution to filling a gap in public health intelligence
A local health observatory’s objective is to address the challenges of understanding the multiple factors that influence health, and the dispersed and uncoordinated nature of data. In general, they act as:
- A focal point for local monitoring, collecting, analyzing and managing information on urban health challenges; and,
- A partnership with a network of actors/stakeholders to understand determinants of urban health in order to support decision-making and better informed policies.
However, they exist in different forms and depending on their location are nested within different institutions such as government, academia, non-government and private sector. Here are three examples of local health observatories.
| Name of observatory | Key partners | Mission |
| Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Spain | • Consorci Sanitari de Barcelona • Municipalities of Catalonia • Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces • The Provincial Council of Barcelona |
•To develop public health activities with a high degree of interaction with service activities •To use the health information system to support health services planning |
| Belo Horizonte Observatory for Urban Health (OSUBH), Brazil | • Federal University of Minas Gerais • Belo Horizonte Municipality |
• To improve public health services at both individual and community levels • To enable the implementation of specific intervention strategies and policies |
| London Health Observatory (LHO, England) | • NHS • Local authorities • The GLA • Researchers and national agencies |
• To provide information that policy makers and practitioners need to improve health and health care • To support the development of health intelligence professionals |