Urban health leaders renew commitment to accelerate life-saving action in cities

Summary: Most deaths in the world come from injuries or diseases you cannot catch from someone else, like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Because more than half of all people live in cities, city leaders have a special power to help keep us safe.

Health experts and city planners from 55 cities just met in Rio de Janeiro to share ways to save lives. They are doing amazing things! Rio is helping people quit smoking, serving fresh food in schools, and protecting people from extreme heat. Baltimore just joined the group to help stop drug overdoses. Other cities are making a big difference too. Bengaluru banned public hookah smoking, and Mexico City is building safer streets for bicycles. When cities take strong action, people get healthier very fast!

For more details, see rssapp-who-int-news at who.int/news/item/02-04-2026-urban-health-leaders-renew-commitment-to-accelerate-life-saving-action-in-cities (opens in new tab)