Makassar City and Wajo District receive WHO Healthy City awards

The World Health Organization (WHO) has awarded Makassar City and Wajo District in Indonesia with Healthy City Accreditation Awards under the WHO Regional Healthy Cities Network for South-East Asia (SEAR-HCN). The awards, the first of their kind in the Region, were conferred at a virtual ceremony hosted by the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia on 28 March 2025. 

Makassar and Wajo were among 10 cities from six countries in the Region recognized for their significant contributions to improving health and well-being in urban settings through inclusive planning, local leadership, innovation and multisectoral action. The WHO Regional initiative encourages local governments to create cities that prioritize health, sustainability and equity. 

Indonesia's Healthy City movement began in 1998 with the Kabupaten/Kota Sehat (KKS) programme in six urban areas. Today, 387 of Indonesia’s 514 districts and cities participate in the WHO-supported KKS, which is led by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Forum for Healthy Cities/Districts. 

Makassar and Wajo were among the first administrative units in the Region to pursue formal accreditation with the SEAR-HCN, following its launch in 2022. WHO has since supported a July 2023 Urban Leaders Training in Makassar, as well as a series of workshops with Universitas Hasanuddin, which helped both cities develop detailed health profiles and plans submitted for WHO review. 

^{Hengky Roy, a visually impaired resident of Makassar, walks with the assistance of a cane along Regge Street. Community-based planning and inclusive local services are part of the city’s broader efforts to create a healthier, more equitable urban environment. (WHO/Iqbal Lubis)}

At the 28 March awards, Makassar – a coastal city of about 1.5 million people – was recognized for its pioneering approaches to integrated health service delivery, solid waste management and participatory governance.  

“We are very proud of this achievement,” said Mayor Munafri Arifuddin. “This award recognizes the hard work of society, government and the private sector in creating a healthy, sustainable urban environment by strengthening governance for health and well-being.” 

Wajo District was honoured by WHO for its focus on integrated community health services. In the largely rural area about 200 kilometers northeast of Makassar, and with a population of around 400 000, many of these services are delivered through the district’s extensive network of puskesmas (primary health centres). This includes its innovative senior citizen’s empowerment in health programme, ULAMA (Active Older Persons), which has been presented as a best practice globally.  

“This recognition is an honour for Wajo and a testament to the collective work of health workers, government, community leaders and citizens,” said Wajo’s Regional Secretary, Armayani, on behalf of Regent Andi Rosman. “This milestone is a call to action. We must innovate, collaborate and uphold WHO standards to ensure Wajo remains a model of health resilience.” 

Wajo’s participatory governance model has enabled more responsive and accountable health and waste-management planning at the village and subdistrict levels. Through community forums and local action planning, the district ensures that health initiatives are tailored to local needs and are sustainable over the long term. 

A growing movement for healthier cities  

The SEAR-HCN includes 23 cities, with growing regional interest. In Indonesia, Surabaya, Madiun, Cilegon, Semarang and Bandung are currently pursuing accreditation, which is based on a rigorous, two-year evaluation process. 

Supported by the Swiss Development Cooperation and Chulalongkorn University’s Regional Laboratory on Urban Governance, the SEAR-HCN provides technical assistance and shared learning platforms to guide cities toward healthier, more equitable futures. 

Both Makassar and Wajo District’s journeys show that Healthy Cities are built through shared vision, inclusive partnerships and sustained political will, recognizing that the health of cities is the health of nations.