• Healthy Cities initiative

Over half the world’s population now lives in large towns and cities, some of vast size. For many families the daily reality is of slum dwelling such as this shanty town in India where open sewers, uncollected rubbish, and roaming livestock make up the neighbourhood environment. Not surprisingly, infectious diseases remain common. The World Health Organisation’s Healthy Cities initiative has set out to tackle the new urban health agenda in a systematic and holistic way.