Oluwatobi Adu 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on national and municipal authorities to adopt a more strategic approach to urban health, warning that rapidly growing cities are now at the centre of global health, inequality, and climate challenges.
The appeal was made in a new global guide titled Taking a Strategic Approach to Urban Health, launched on Friday to mark World Cities Day.
More than 4.4 billion people currently live in urban areas—a figure expected to reach nearly 70% by 2050. WHO noted that while cities offer economic opportunity, they also concentrate risks such as air pollution, unsafe housing, inadequate sanitation, heat stress, and disease outbreaks.
“The guide gives national and municipal leaders, planners, partners and communities a framework to work together across sectors and scales to build fairer, healthier and more resilient futures,” said Jeremy Farrar, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Care.
WHO warned that the worst health outcomes are often found in informal settlements, where 1.1 billion people live with limited services. This number is expected to triple by 2050.
The new framework outlines practical steps for governments to: Integrate health into transport, housing, climate, and planning policies; Strengthen governance, financing, and data systems; and develop national and municipal urban health strategies.
WHO Director for Health Determinants, Dr Etienne Krug, said cities “hold the greatest promise for transformative change,” adding that urban design must now prioritise clean air, safe mobility, digital access, and equitable public services.
WHO also launched the first modules of a new Urban Health e-learning course hosted by the WHO Academy, aimed at strengthening local planning capacity.
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Mirian Gom 
Chukwu Obinna 
