Participants of the 9th Global Conference on Health Promotion take time out to stretch in Shanghai yesterday. More than 100 mayors from across the globe are at the conference.(Wang Rongjiang)
The 9th Global Conference on Health Promotion yesterday unveiled its key achievement — the Shanghai Consensus on Healthy Cities.
This highlights a set of governance principles, which include the implementation of urban development policies to reduce poverty and inequity, promotion of strong community engagement, and the boosting of health literacy.
It also calls on the need to build a monitoring system for diseases. The consensus covers the elimination of air, water and soil pollution, as well as climate change and the health of the urban poor.
It emphasizes smoke-free environments, elimination of discrimination, sustainable urban traffic, green communities that encourage walking and sport, and improvement of public traffic systems and food policies that provide access to affordable healthy food and safe drinking water.
Officials from the World Health Organization, health ministers and mayors shared their visions over such topics as smoking control, air-quality improvement, environment, and healthy communities during the International Healthy City Mayors' Forum.
Margaret Chan, director-general of WHO, highlighted the role mayors can play to create healthy cities.
More than 100 mayors from cities across the globe pledged at the Shanghai conference to integrate health as a core consideration in all policies.
The health level of Shanghai residents had significantly improved as it had constructed a complete medical care and health service system, said Shanghai Vice Mayor Ying Yong.
