Urban health: it’s time to get moving! Global Health: Science and Practice, May 2014.
Victor Barbiero, George Washington University.
The global health community should mainstream urban health and implement urban health programs to address the triple health burden of communicable diseases, noncommunicable diseases, and injuries in low- and middle-income countries.
THE URBAN OPPORTUNITY
Urbanization also presents new opportunities (Box 2). Population density and closer proximities of health infrastructure could facilitate service delivery by public and private institutions and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Mass media through print, radio, and even television have wide audience reach in urban centers. Decentralized authority in urban municipalities could foster pro-poor policies that maximize affordable preventive and curative care for underserved populations.
Resources, both public and private, are often greater in the urban environment, and urban centers often enjoy political recognition and support. Furthermore, the commercial sector has providers and products that can be better deployed. The Internet and the ubiquity of mobile phones enhance communication and the potential support for health promotion, disease prevention, and treatment. Perhaps most importantly, urban environs have a middle class and formal sector that support commerce, promote stability, and anticipate change for the better. These groups and cohorts may be early adopters to change.
