430.0: Tuesday, October 23, 2001: 6:30 PM-8:00 PM | ||||
Oral Session | ||||
| ||||
| BACKGROUND: Urbanization is increasing worldwide. Since the mid-20th century, the proportion of the world's population that is urban has grown from 30% to 43%; this is projected to rise to 75% within the next several decades. Most of the largest cities will be in developing countries where the size and density of the cities will challenge the public health infrastructure. Controlling epidemics of infectious diseases, chronic diseases, and effects of pollutants in urban areas will require new approaches to research, program planning, implementation and evaluation. Healthy aspects of urban living, such as social/neighborhood support in cities also need to be studied and encouraged. PROPOSAL: A cross-disciplinary association of researchers is needed to exchange perspectives, methods, data, and results on the factors that are responsible for the disproportionate burden of disease in urban and peri-urban areas. The goal of such an organization would be to study the effects of urbanization on health as well as to develop and evaluate programs that offset these risks and promote well-being in urban areas. While urban health research can be guided by inter-city variability within countries, there is much to be gained by studying the urban environment across countries. An association that brings together researchers from across the world interested in urban health might serve to develop an international health research agenda and to identify new ways to promote the health of urban populations. This session is devoted as an organizational meeting to consider the establishment of an International Society for Urban Health Research. | ||||
| David Vlahov, PhD | ||||
| Sandro Galea, MD, MPH Nicholas Freudenberg, DrPH Dennis P Andrulis, PhD Andre-Jacques Neusy, MD Diana P Silimperi, MD | ||||
| Sponsor: | International Health | |||
| Cosponsors: | Social Work | |||