Over 55 per cent of the world’s population live in urban areas – a proportion that is expected to increase to 68 per cent by 2050. This trend calls for strengthened support to address health at the urban level. To this end, a new repository launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on urban health gives access to a broad range of WHO-generated resources to enhance local action for health.

The repository reflects WHO’s renewed commitment to promoting urban health worldwide and includes resources that provide technical support and build capacity, strategic reports and guidelines, health impact assessment tools, and other products relevant to urban health and cities.

The repository is a living resource, open to modifications and additions, and it will be regularly updated when new products become available. It covers topics such as urban planning, housing, environmental issues, transport and mobility, nutrition, physical activity, COVID-19 and many others. The search engine allows users to access existing WHO materials by health topic category, product type, geographical area and year of publication/development. 

The initial content in the repository is based on a structured, non-exhaustive, technical mapping exercise identifying WHO activities and products across the organization. WHO hopes that users including researchers, practitioners, community actors, government and city officials, NGO reps, private sector agents, civil society members, donors, development partners, multilateral agencies and others in all member states will find the repository a useful tool in the journey towards better urban health.