“Attention to cities has grown more visible worldwide with the recent adoption by the United Nations of the first-ever urban goal (Goal 11) among the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the creation of the ‘New Urban Agenda’ as planning continues for the Habitat III Conference in Quito, Ecuador in October of 2016. The International Society for Urban Health is committed to assuring that strategies that advance urban health, as priorities in all such plans with cross-cutting agendas across other goals for health, water-sanitation, hunger and food security, gender equality and women's empowerment, etc.,” said Dr. Shamim Talukder, ISUH’s President and CEO of Eminence Associates for Social Development in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The conference kicks off with the launch of a new WHO/UN HABITAT Global Report on Urban Health. The timely report is instrumental for countries and cities to implement the new Sustainable Development Goals, particularly for health and urban settings, and to achieve universal health coverage. The report synthesizes new data from over 100 cities worldwide on the relationship between health and urban settings, including patterns of health inequities, along with evidence for the opportunity of cities to act across many sectors of government and society to improve health outcomes.
“The ICUH takes place at a decisive moment in history where we can reshape urban environments and health systems for the majority of the world’s population that live in cities, and create equitable, healthier cities for sustainable development. Similarly, we must collectively address the health challenges faced by hundreds of millions of vulnerable people currently living in cities, such as the 850 million people living in slums globally, projected to increase to 2 billion by 2050,” said Alex Ross, Director of the World Health Organization Centre for Health Development in Kobe, Japan, which produced the Global Report.
“As global trends like population aging and urbanization underscore the importance of urban health, the role of ISUH will only become more significant as the pre-eminent global organization exclusively focused on urban health and health inequities,” said Jo Ivey Boufford, MD, President of The New York Academy of Medicine, the Secretariat for ISUH.
“The AAG is pleased to collaborate with The New York Academy of Medicine and the International Society of Urban Health on the joint international symposium on Geography and Urban Health. With this collaboration we aim to foster interdisciplinary and international collaborations in team science, geodesign for healthy urban environments, GIScience advances in health research and technology transfer, and geographic or biomedical research which addresses global health needs,” said Douglas Richardson, Executive Director of the American Association of Geographers.
ICUH 2016 features nine plenary sessions addressing key issues related to improving health in cities worldwide, such as sustainable urban development, global urban health policies and programs, and place based interventions for disease prevention. Select confirmed speakers include:
• Andy Haines, MBBS, MD, Professor of Public Health & Primary Care, London School of Hygiene & Topical Medicine• Alex Ross, MSPH, Director, WHO Centre for Health Development, Kobe, Japan• Joan Clos, MD, Executive Director, United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat• Carlos Dora, MD, PhD, Coordinator, Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health Department, WHO • Ana V. Diez Roux, MD, PhD, MPH, Professor of Epidemiology and Dean of the Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University• Rajesh Anandan, Senior Vice President, UNICEF Ventures
This year’s conference also features a unique track sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, with scholarships provided to low and middle income country (LMIC) participants, focusing on “Global Learnings for US Solutions” to build a Culture of Health in the United States.
ICUH 2016 sponsors include the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Novartis Foundation, Novo Nordisk, and the Wellcome Trust. The International Society of Urban Health partners include the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Interacademy Medical Panel (IAMP), United Nations University (UNU), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Urban Campaign (WUC).
For more information on ICUH 2016, please visit the conference website, and follow the International Society for Urban Health on Twitter. Use the hashtag #ICUH2016 to join the global conversation.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR URBAN HEALTHThe International Society for Urban Health (ISUH) is a global multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary professional organization. ISUH’s membership consists of researchers, educators, practitioners, policy makers, and advocates from around the world. ISUH is the only global nongovernmental organization that exclusively focuses on the broad determinants of urban health. Visit www.isuh.org for more information.
ABOUT THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF MEDICINEThe New York Academy of Medicine advances solutions that promote the health and well-being of people in cities worldwide.
Established in 1847, The New York Academy of Medicine continues to address the health challenges facing New York City and the world’s rapidly growing urban populations. We accomplish this through our Institute for Urban Health, home of interdisciplinary research, evaluation, policy and program initiatives; our world class historical medical library and its public programming in history, the humanities and the arts; and our Fellows program, a network of more than 2,000 experts elected by their peers from across the professions affecting health. Our current priorities are healthy aging, disease prevention, and eliminating health disparities. Visit www.nyam.org for more information.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF GEOGRAPHERSThe American Association of Geographers is a global network of leading researchers, educators and practitioners in geography. Founded in 1904, its growing membership shares interests in the theory, methods and practice of geography and its role in helping create a better world. Visit www.aag.org for more information.
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