More than 220 global leaders attended the annual Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit, co-hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the World Health Organization, Vital Strategies and the city of Paris. With representatives from more than 60 of the Partnership’s 74 member cities—including 12 mayors and several government partners—this gathering was a powerful reminder that cities are at the forefront of preventing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries.
The Summit provided a rare opportunity for leading city and health officials to share the innovations and challenges they’ve experienced while creating healthier, safer and more equitable cities. One theme: Regardless of a city’s size, budget or region of the world, resilient, inclusive and sustainable public health systems start with strong, reliable data. We can only improve what we can measure. By harnessing the power of data, cities can reveal and correct health inequities for better public health policy and practices.
Helsinki, Finland is putting data to work to reduce noncommunicable diseases and narrow health disparities. In partnership with the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare, Helsinki is tapping into previously unavailable and underutilized datasets that offer new insights at the postal code level. One of the findings so far: Young people’s physical fitness levels and participation in local sports clubs varies significantly between districts based on socioeconomic status—in one of the city’s lowest socio-economic areas, for example, just 20% of children are involved in sport, while in more affluent neighborhoods participation levels were as high as 66% . City leadership is now using this data to inform local policy solutions and targeted interventions that narrow inequities.
Many NCDs can be prevented by reducing risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy diets. When Ahmedabad, India conducted a house-by-house survey to address NCDs, the city focused on the leading NCD risk factors and how inequalities and gender biases can inform health behaviors. In all, 5,760 city residents, ranging in age from 25 to 64, were surveyed on behavioral risk factors and physical measurements. The study provided key insights. For example, 34% of males and 6% of females—18% of the total population—use tobacco. Now, the city is developing a surveillance system to support policies that reduce exposure to key NCD risk factors and strengthen health equity.
Data drives public health action. In Santiago, Chile, 53% of women use urban transportation, yet very few safeguards are in place with women in mind. According to a study, “She moves safely,” over 80% of the public transportation users reported having seen, heard, or experienced two or more cases of harassment. Furthermore, 46% of women reported that traveling without daylight makes them feel less safe. Equipped with this information, Santiago is developing, with Partnership support, a comprehensive new policy that encourages safe and active mobility throughout the entire metropolitan region, addressing inequalities that hinder mobility, including gender, income, age and abilities.
Local leadership has emerged as a powerful force for addressing the complex challenges presented by NCDs and injuries. Data-driven efforts by city leaders are having a significant impact on people’s lives and addressing inequities so that public health systems can allow everyone, everywhere to live their healthiest, most vital life.