Improving health is connected with many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting how healthy populations are essential for social, economic and environmental sustainability. According to a report, people living in cities are 20% more likely to suffer depression. Moreover, 90% of people’s time on average is spent indoors; hence, a healthier indoors, more balanced natural outdoor urban environment and increased physical activity can result in a city that benefits both the mental and physical health of its inhabitants.
According to the Qatar National Vision 2030, Qatar aims to promote a healthy society by providing them with a world-class education and health systems.
The recent award of ‘Healthy Cities’ by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is evidence of Qatar’s progress in this regard. All the municipalities in Qatar have been awarded as Health Cities, while in another milestone, Qatar University bagged “Healthy University” and QF Education City as “Health Education City.”
Commenting on the award, Minister of Public Health H E Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari added: “Accomplishing this achievement, within a short timeframe, demonstrates the hard work, commitment of the teams, and the strong partnerships we have established through the Healthy Cities Network, emphasizing the continuation of these efforts to improve the health and well-being of the population.”
The WHO states that a healthy city “continually creates and improves its physical and social environments and expands the community resources that enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and developing to their maximum potential.”
The Minister of Municipality H E Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie also stated that for all municipalities of Qatar to be awarded by the WHO as “Healthy Cities” is an outstanding achievement. He noted that this was achieved thanks to the attention paid to the development of cities according to the basics and standards of environmental, health and urban sustainability.
Healthy Cities is a global initiative launched by WHO to place health at the top of cities’ social and political agenda by promoting health, equity, and sustainable development through innovation and multisectoral change.
The Healthy City program aims to improve the health of populations by promoting health and well-being, improving equity, enabling communities and preventing the leading causes of ill health through incorporating health in all policies and enhancing cooperation and partnership across different sectors and society.
