Cebu joins observance of World Health Day

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City and Toledo City were among the 1,000 cities all over the world that celebrated the World Health Day yesterday.

The “1,000 Cities, 1,000 Lives” campaign for World Health Day 2010 calls upon all cities worldwide to open up portions of streets to the people to promote health activities for one day from April 7-11, 2010.

Both Cebu City and Toledo City joined the celebration through series of programs and activities that promote healthy lifestyle.

This year’s World Health Day theme is “Urbanization and Health.” 

The said event seeks to generate action to address urban health challenges in Region VII and the Philippines as a whole and aims to raise awareness on urban health challenges and the need to address them, secure support of development partners and urban health stakeholders, and recognize champions and exemplary practices of key partners in addressing urban health challenges. 

Rapid urbanization has brought about a serious urban health challenge, health officials said.

Dr. Lakshmi Legaspi, Director III of the Department of Health-7, said that rapid urbanization results in increased congestion, pollution and slum formation with wider inequity across social determinants of health, so that health outcomes of the urban poor are worse than the rural poor.

The rapid rate of urbanization has outpaced the ability of governments to build essential infrastructure for health and social services and has resulted to slum formation and growth in slum population.

Thus, it will require more than the provision and use of health services to improve the health of urban populations.

Inter-sectoral response, nongovernmental and community action, community organization, participation and empowerment are all key factors in addressing the contributing effect of socio cultural factors.

Rapid unplanned urbanization is acknowledged as one of the biggest challenges in the 21st century. Particularly in the developing world, the speed of urbanization often outpaces the ability of governments to respond.—    (FREEMAN NEWS)