Address by Dr Hanan Balkhy Regional Director WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region to the Second …

10 February 2025

Your Excellency Dr Ahmad Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi,

Minister of Health of Kuwait,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to join you here today at Kuwait’s second conference on Healthy Cities,

Our health is impacted by where we live,

And how we live.

And most of us live in cities.

More than 60 per cent of the Arab population live in urban centres.

So urban health matters.

A Healthy City supports health and a good quality of life,

Through access to health care, sanitation and hygiene.

WHO’s global Healthy Cities programme has been active for more than 20 years,

And our regional Healthy Cities network counts 121 cities in 15 countries,

In Kuwait, 18 cities are a part of this network.

And, impressively, seven Kuwaiti cities have already received WHO certification as Healthy Cities,

In 2024, Kuwait University was officially recognized by WHO as a Health Promoting University.

And Kuwait is fast becoming a regional leader in promoting urban environments that support health, sustainability, and community resilience.

Across our region, Healthy Cities are driving innovation for public health.

Though initiatives that range from creating safer streets,

To implementing efficient waste management systems,

And improving access to healthcare.

Healthy Cities have a proven, measurable, positive impact on climate change,

By reducing pollution, promoting green spaces, and encouraging healthy lifestyles.

They also contribute to preventing risk factors,

Including tobacco consumption, physical inactivity, and substance use.

We should all take pride in this progress.

Over the next two days, we will hear from leading global and regional experts,

About how they are driving this change,

And what it means for ordinary people.

Participating cities are experiencing progress across 80 indicators