GENEVA - Cities are home to more than half of the people on earth, 40 million of whom die every year from heart disease, cancer, diabetes and lung disease.
Now, in a bid to tackle these preventable diseases – and take on another urban killer, road accidents - the UN health agency has come up with a 10-point blueprint for safe cities.
It’s been inspired by successful policies already in place around the world, from smoke-free measures in Bogor, Indonesia to road safety initiatives in Ghana’s Accra.
A “walkable streets” plan in New York city is also highlighted by the World Health Organization, which says that it reduced elderly pedestrian fatalities by 16 per cent. The report was supported by WHO Global Ambassador and former long-term New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg.
It highlights how cities in the developing world are where 85 per cent of all non-communicable disease deaths happen, and where almost all fatal road traffic accidents occur.
WHO researchers say that the economic benefits for low and middle-income countries could be at least $350 billion.
