Urban HEART tool

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement. The mention of specifi c companies or of certain manufacturers' products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters. The World Health Organization does not warrant that the information contained in this publication is complete and correct and shall not be liable for any damages incurred as a result of its use. 1 In the words of World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, " When health is concerned, equity really is a matter of life and death. " Tackling differentials in health across population groups is regaining prominence in the agenda of national and local governments, and international organizations. In 2005, WHO established the Commission on Social Determinants of Health to support countries and global health partners and to draw their attention to the social determinants of health, which are signifi cant factors in poor health and inequities in health between and within countries. world governments had endorsed the notion that health is linked to living and working conditions of the population, and acknowledged the role of community participation. Despite the commitment to " Health for All " at Alma-Ata, evidence shows that gaps between rich and poor countries and between the rich and poor within countries have since widened. The impact of the urban setting on health and, in particular, inequity in health has been widely documented. Evidence shows that while, on average, public services, including health and health service provision, in urban areas may be better than in rural areas, these averages often mask wide disparities between more and less disadvantaged populations. One key factor is the exclusion of the marginalized and vulnerable in public health planning and response systems (1). Urban health is infl uenced by a dynamic interaction between global, national and subnational policies; within that wider context, city governments and …