“Where people live affects their health and chances of leading flourishing lives. Communities and neighbourhoods that ensure access to basic goods, that are socially cohesive, that are designed to promote good physical and psychological wellbeing, and that are protective of the natural environment are essential for health equity.”

Two thirds of the population of the European Region live in towns and cities. Urban areas are often unhealthy places to live, characterized by heavy traffic, pollution, noise, violence and social isolation for elderly people and young families. People in towns and cities experience increased rates of noncommunicable disease, injuries, and alcohol and substance abuse, with the poor typically exposed to the worst environments. However, there are ways to tackle these challenges.

WHO/Europe has agreements with several Member States to work on urban health in the context of the health system.

Its work on urban health, however, centres on local governments across the WHO European Region through the WHO European Healthy Cities Network.

An important aspect of the WHO Healthy Cities Network is that it focuses on the whole community, with its strengths and problems, rather than being established under single issues or diseases such as tobacco or cancer. As people working or living in cities are aware, however, certain health topics are of particular concern to the residents and therefore to the policy-makers of urban areas. WHO/Europe’s programmes and publications cover many of these topics.