As part of our commitment to developing the evidence base for the field of urban health and promoting a global awareness of the importance of cities, the Academy established the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH) in 2002. It is the only nongovernmental organization to bring together academics, program leaders, and policy makers from across disciplines and sectors from health care to urban planning, transportation, housing energy and economic development, and more at the global level. The ISUH is in a critically important global position to inform policy and programs as the United Nations takes up the challenges of cities in its consideration of new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which countries will use to guide their planning for health and development in a variety of sectors.

International Conference on Urban Health

On March 4-7, the ISUH held its annual International Conference on Urban Health (ICUH) in partnership with the Manchester Urban Collaboration on Health and the University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC) in Manchester, UK. The ICUH is considered to be the world’s premier international forum for information exchange among urban health stakeholders. This year’s conference gathered scientists, practitioners, policy makers, and community organizations across disciplines and sectors and from high and low-income settings around the world to address the theme “Crossing Boundaries: Partnerships for Global Urban Health.”

Urban Health for a Sustainable Future: The Post 2015 Agenda

On September 20, the Academy and the ISUH, along with partners Eminence Associates for Global Development, UN University, and the Global Citizen Forum on Sustainable Development, hosted a side event for the 69th General Assembly of the United Nations. The event brought together global leaders in urban health to share experiences, ideas, and opinions on how best to assure that urban health is well integrated into the post-2015 development framework. Speakers shared their views and actively discussed with the audience how best to facilitate the advocacy, policy reform, and resource mobilization needed to implement effective urban strategies for health in the Sustainable Development Goals.

Website: www.isuh.org