Dear Colleagues,

 

In the face of Anthropocene geological age, climate change, epidemic and pandemic events across the globe, its urgent to rethink urban areas. In developing countries, cities present systemic problems as lack of sewage, violence, heat waves, bushmeat, huge social inequities and difficult of access to health services among other issues. To improve life quality in urban areas, it implies collaborative work between different disciplines, sectors, and social actors; architects, health workers, social leaders, civil society, politicians, conservationists, biologists working together towards a suitable urban environment for all creatures and sustainable.

One health is an approach that recognizes the interconnection between environmental health, human and animal health. This approach emphasizes the need of cooperation, capacity building and collaboration across multiple disciplines to address complex health problems.  Accordingly, to WHO “cities are strategic actors for the implementation of One Health thanks to their characteristics of action. They are a key actor of the diagnosis of the health needs and inequalities among their population. They are implementing health prevention policies on the field, they oversee hygiene on their territory, and lead the urban policies to organize public spaces’.   

The main goal of this section is to publish articles/ reviews that use a One health approach to improve healthy cities (according to WHO : healthy cities are places that deliver for people and the planet) through working solutions and potential synergies between disciplines and sectors.

 

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

 

Dr Alessandra Nava

Section Editor   

 

one health; urban development; Anthropocene; ecosystem health; sustainable cities; healthy cities; inequities;urbanization