The Healthy City Initiative which began in 1987 with WHO support is a development activity that seeks to put health on the agenda of decision-makers in cities, to build a strong lobby for public health at the local level and to develop a local participatory approach to dealing with health and environmental problems. Ultimately, the initiative aims to improve the physical, mental, social and environmental well-being of the people who live and work in urban areas.
There is failure to conceive healthy urban vision and to muster a sound and sustained implementational will. Today, in every aspect of city life, the prevailing conditions present a sad picture.
Today, cities have become places where one finds heaps of debris and poor environment. Cities being overcrowded are full of slums in all parts. Even normal areas also look like slums. Every third shop has been taken over by chemists and doctors as people are suffering from diseases related to environmental pollution. Even the availability of good food is not possible. Instead of centres of excellence, cities are crowded with coaching academies. The people in the cities have become materialistic resulting in loss of cultural interest.
The answer to all these questions is the need of general education especially health education to city dwellers. Health education can help them to keep the city neat and clean with good environment. People in the cities may be taught to live in harmony, i.e. all must co-operate to maintain healthy environment. Since health affects and is affected by all sectors of development, therefore, the issues like urban poverty, urban safety, women freedom and empowerment, people's participation, value education, yoga education, etc, need be addressed. |
