Nairobi, New York City, and Osaka in Partnership to Prevent Non-Communicable Diseases.

New York November 1, 2023-Nairobi City has joined the Partnership for Healthy Cities, a prestigious global network of cities working to reduce non-communicable diseases(NCDs) and injuries, along with New York, USA, and Osaka, Japan.

 The Partnership supports cities in implementing evidence-based solutions to promote health and prevent deaths.

The Partnership for Healthy Cities is a collaboration between Bloomberg Philanthropies, the World Health Organization, and Vital Strategies.

This network, now comprising 73 cities, supports mayors implementing proven, high-impact interventions to reduce (NCDs) and injuries which are responsible for over 80% of all deaths globally. NCDs include heart disease, diabetes, respiratory diseases, and cancer.

Nairobi City joining this noble cause is a significant development  because it will give the city access to resources and expertise to help improve public health.

The Partnership supports cities in implementing evidence-based interventions to reduce NCDs and injuries in the following areas: tobacco control, road safety, safe and active mobility, healthy food, data surveillance, and overdose prevention.

“WHO welcomes Nairobi, New York City and Osaka – three of the world’s biggest cities – to the ever-expanding partnership and commends their mayors for their commitment to building urban environments that nurture health, ”said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

The Director general noted, they  look forward to supporting all three cities to implement evidence-based and cost-effective solutions to promote health and prevent NCDs and injuries.

José Luis Castro- President and CEO, Vital strategies Said, they welcome the new cities to the Partnership and are eager to support their efforts creating systemic, lasting change improving health around the world.

“Cities have long served as drivers of improved public health.” We applaud the efforts of city leaders working to create healthier and stronger urban centers where residents can thrive,” said Luis Castro.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said, working with Bloomberg Philanthropies will greatly contribute to better collaboration with state and non-state actors to reduce the rising burden and incidence of NCDs and improve the quality of care for those who develop NCDs in Nairobi.

“We’ll continue to be a leader in the prevention of injuries and diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes,” said New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan.

Vasan noted Every good model starts somewhere, and they are as eager to implement successful efforts from other cities as they are to innovate on their own.

“Osaka Prefecture is very proud to be joining the Partnership for Healthy Cities, a global network of cities that aims to save lives by reducing (NCDs) and injuries,” said The Honorable Hirofumi Yoshimura, Governor of Osaka Prefecture.

The Governor further said, Osaka Prefecture is implementing various cancer countermeasures, including increasing the rate of receiving cancer screenings. By participating in this partnership and sharing knowledge with other cities in the network, this will develop their efforts and contribute to the promotion of cancer control around the world.