The global goals of the World Health Organization (WHO) campaign are 1000 Cities: to open up public spaces to health, whether it is activities in parks, town hall meetings, clean-up campaigns, or closing off portions of streets to motorized vehicles.
1000 Lives: to collect 1000 stories of urban health champions who have taken action and had a significant impact on health in their cities.
Commissioner of Public Health Hyacinth Richardson says the global theme for 2010 World Health Day is, "Urbanization: a challenge for public health."
Population growth is associated with many health challenges related to water, environment, violence and injury, non-communicable diseases and their risk factors like tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol as well as the risks associated with disease outbreaks.
This poses a challenge for several reasons: A condensed population means a larger range of diseases and other health problems, which includes an increased risk of violence, chronic disease, and for some communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
Adequate information and proper planning can promote healthy behaviours, such as safety through investment in active transport, designing areas to promote physical activity and passing regulatory controls on tobacco and food safety.
Improving living conditions in the areas of housing, water and sanitation will go a long way to mitigating health risks. Building inclusive cities that are accessible and age-friendly will benefit all residents. Such actions do not necessarily require additional funding, but commitment to redirect resources to priority interventions, thereby achieving greater efficiency.
"On World Health Day, I call on the nation to review their lifestyle and eating habits. Take a step back and look at yourself as an individual and your family. Come up with a new plan of how to relieve stress and staying healthy.
"It's your responsibility to take action. Challenge yourself and set goals for a healthy lifestyle for you and your family. Join with friends and family and make it a community or neighbourhood affair in creating a healthier Sint Maarten community," Commissioner of Public Health Hyacinth Richardson told the Government Information Service (GIS) on Tuesday.
