Members of the Hub community "Global Urban Health" of the Global Health Hub Germany have jointly developed a policy paper that highlights the challenges and opportunities for human health in cities worldwide. PD Dr. Carsten Butsch and Dr. Timo Falkenberg, both co-manager of the Hub community "Global Urban Health", were lead-authors of this publication (together with co-authors Ulrich Kuch; M. Cristina Polidori; Klaus Geiselhart; Stephanie Thomas; Stefanie Matthys; Dennis Schmiege; Michael Wirsching; Regina Winter; Adele Vosper; Nadja Kabisch; Anja Leetz; Alexander Krämer). They highlighted the opportunities and challenges for human health in cities worldwide and formulated corresponding recommendations for action. "I am convinced that the paper will find approval from experts in this field. With its clear messages it will speak to diffenrent groups and at different levels of expertise" says PD Dr. Carsten Butsch, community manager of "Global Urban Health".
In detail, the working group identified nine areas of opportunity: urban health systems, transport/mobility, green and blue spaces as health-promoting places, water supply and sanitation infrastructure, healthy housing, urban food systems, animals and zoonotic diseases, analysis of local challenges (urban diagnostics), and security. Besides, the policy brief highlights the opportunities and challenges for human health in cities worldwide and formulates corresponding recommendations for action. Key messages are: 1) health promotion must be prioritised in urban planning and urban development, 2) each city must set its own priorities for improving urban health on the basis of a “city diagnosis”, 3) cities need an integrated health management oriented towards the guiding principle of structural prevention. The Hub Community “Global Urban Health” of the Global Health Hub Germany has identified “opportunity spaces” and developed recommendations for action for city administrations, civil society, business, national governments, international organisations and research funders.
The Global Health Hub Germany is an independent network representing different actors in the field of global health. It offers its members the opportunity to exchange ideas across different sectors and working groups on various topics in the field of global health and to link them. The interdisciplinary exchange generates new topics, issues, and solutions that the Hub brings to policymakers to support informed policy-making and advance global health in Germany and around the world.
Congratulations to all working group members and authors on this interesting publication!