The Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC) is a cooperative international alliance aimed at protecting and enhancing the health and

health care Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...

of city dwellers. It is composed of groups of cities, urban districts and other organizations from countries around the world in exchanging information to achieve the goal through a health promotion approach called Healthy Cities. The chair city for the alliance is Ichikawa,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. The alliance and its members work in favour of the healthy city, defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "one that is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential".

History

The first international declaration that promoted the concepts underlying healthy cities, the Alma Ata Declaration, was adopted at the International Conference for Primary Health Care, jointly convened by the WHO and UNICEF in

Almaty Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...

(formerly Alma-Ata), presently in Kazakhstan, 6–12 September 1978. The primary health care strategy endorsed and targeted health for all the people of the world by the year 2000. Various discussions have taken place since then. Trevor Hancock and Leonard Duhl promoted the term "Healthy Cities" in consultation with the WHO:

Economic development has brought comfort and convenience to many people in the industrialized world, but in its wake are pollution, new health problems, blighted urban landscapes and social isolation. Growing numbers of the dispossessed are also being left on the sidelines as the disparity between rich and poor grows. In an effort to remedy these ills, people from disparate backgrounds in thousands of communities are joining together with government agencies under the Healthy Cities/Healthy Communities banner to improve the quality of life in their towns and cities.

At the First International Conference on Health Promotion in 1986, the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion was adopted that presented actions to achieve healthy life for all people by the year 2000 and beyond. Following a second international conference on health promotion at Adelaide in 1988 and a third at

Sundsvall Sundsvall () is a city and the seat of Sundsvall Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden. It has a population of 58,807 as of 2020; more than 95,000 live in the municipal area. It is Sweden's 21st largest city by population. History Th ...

in 1991, and twenty years after the Alma Ata Declaration, the Fourth International Conference on Health Promotion held in July 1997 in

Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...

adopted the new Jakarta Declaration: "New Players for a New Era - Leading Health Promotion into the 21st Century". It came at a critical moment in the development of international PHC strategies.

Timeline

* 17 October 2003: First organizational meeting held in Manila; participants of the inaugural meeting were cities, national coordinators, NGOs, and academic institutions engaged in the Healthy Cities program worldwide. * 12–14 October 2004: The Alliance held its inaugural General Assembly and Conference in

Kuching Kuching (), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak River ...

, with city mayors, governors, city officers, public health and urban planning professionals, NGOs, academic institutions, and national and international leaders to celebrate the inauguration of the Alliance for Healthy Cities. * 28–30 October 2006: The Second General Assembly and Conference in

Suzhou Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trade ...

, with the theme Healthy Cities in the Globalizing World. * 23–26 October 2008: The third global conference of the Alliance for Healthy Cities was held in Ichikawa with the theme of "Health Security in the City: Healthy Cities activities building a better future". * 21–22 July 2009: AFHC International Forum was in Hue. * October 2009: The fourth global conference was held in Gangnam-gu, South Korea

List of members

Australia

City of Casey The City of Casey is a local government area in Victoria, Australia in the outer south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Casey is Victoria's most populous municipality, with a June 2018 population of 340,419. It has an area of . The city is named ...

* Corio and Norlane Development Advisory Board * City of Gold Coast * Illawarra ( Wollongong and Shellharbour) * Municipality of Kiama * Logan City *

City of Marion The City of Marion is a local government area in part of the southern and western suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. The council offices are in the suburb of Sturt. History The District Council of Brighton was established in 1853, centred ...

* City of Townsville

Cambodia

Phnom Penh Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...

People's Republic of China

* Central and Western District, Hong Kong *

Changshu Changshu (; Suzhounese: /d͡ʐan¹³ ʐoʔ²³/) is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, and is part of the Yangtze River Delta. It borders the prefecture-level city of Nantong to the northeast across the Yangt ...

* Huai'an *

Islands District The Islands District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is part of the New Territories. It had a population of 170,900 in 2018. Hong Kong consists of a peninsula and 263 islands. The Islands District consists of some twenty large an ...

, Hong Kong * Kowloon City District, Hong Kong * Kunshan * Kwai Tsing District, Hong Kong * Kwun Tong District, Hong Kong * Luohu District * Macau * North District, Hong Kong *

Sai Kung District Sai Kung District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China. The district comprises the southern half of the Sai Kung Peninsula, the Clear Water Bay Peninsula in the New Territories and a strip of lan ...

, Hong Kong * Sha Tin District, Hong Kong * Southern District, Hong Kong *

* Taicang * Tai Po District * Tongzhou, Jiangsu * Tsuen Wan District, Hong Kong * Wujiang, Jiangsu * Yau Tsim Mong District, Hong Kong * Zhangjiagang

Japan

* Abashiri, Hokkaido *

Abiko, Chiba 260px, Abiko City Hall is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 131,714 in 59,895 households and a population density of 3000 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Abiko is loc ...

* Aisai, Aichi * Ama, Aichi * Fujieda, Shizuoka *

Fukuroi, Shizuoka 270px, Shizuoka Stadium is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 88,395 in 34,842 households, and a population density of 820 persons per km². The total area of the city was . Fukuroi is a memb ...

* Hamamatsu, Shizuoka * Ichikawa, Chiba * Izumisano, Osaka * Kameyama, Mie * Kasama, Ibaraki * Kashiwa, Chiba * Kitanagoya, Aichi *

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...

* Minokamo, Gifu *

Miyakojima, Okinawa is a Cities of Japan, city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, located on the Miyako Islands. As of 2012, it had a population of 54,908. The current mayor is Kazuyuki Zakimi, who took office on January 25, 2021. History The modern city of Miyakoji ...

* Myōkō, Niigata * Nagareyama, Chiba * Nagoya *

Nagakute, Aichi is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 61,503 in 24,352 households, and a population density of 2,854 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Nagakute is a member of the World Health Organi ...

* Nishitokyo, Tokyo * Obihiro, Hokkaido * Ōbu, Aichi * Osaki, Miyagi * Owariasahi, Aichi * Seiyo, Ehime * Shikokuchūō, Ehime *

Suita, Osaka is a city located in northern Osaka Prefecture, Japan. As of October 1, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 378,322 and a population density of 9,880 persons per km². The total area is 36.11 km². The city was founded on April 1, ...

* Tahara, Aichi * Taitō, Tokyo *

Tajimi, Gifu is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 110,070 in 46,580 households, and a population density of 1200 people per km2. The total area of the city was . The city is famous for its production of Mino ware cerami ...

* Takamatsu, Kagawa * Toon, Ehime * Yamato, Kanagawa * Yawatahama, Ehime

South Korea

Andong Andong () is a city in South Korea, and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city. Andong is a m ...

* Asan *

Buk-gu, Ulsan Buk District (literally ''north district'') is a '' gu'', or district, in north central Ulsan, South Korea. Its name literally means "North Ward". It stretches roughly from the Ring Road to Mohwa into the north and out to the coast in the east. ...

* Busan * Busanjin-gu, Busan * Buyeo County *

Changwon Changwon () is the capital city of Gyeongsangnam-do, on the southeast coast of South Korea. With a population of 1.07 million , Changwon is South Korea's ninth-most populous city. A port city, Changwon is bordered by Masan Bay to the south ...

Chuncheon Chuncheon (; ; formerly romanized as Chunchŏn; literally ''spring river'') is the capital of Gangwon Province in South Korea. The city lies in the north of the county, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River. There are some ...

* Dobong-gu * Dong-gu, Gwangju * Donghae City * Dongjak-gu * Gangdong-gu * Gangnam-gu * Geumsan * Guro-gu * Gwangjin-gu *

Gwangmyeong Gwangmyeong (; Korean: 광명시) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Seoul to the east, north and northeast, Anyang to the southeast, Siheung to the southwest, and Bucheon to the northeast. Gwangmyeong is home to one of the ...

* Hadong *

Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Hwaseong () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It has the largest area of farmland of any city or county in Gyeonggi Province. Seoul Subway Line 1 passes through Hwaseong, stopping at Byeongjeom Station. Suin Bundang Line also passes t ...

* Jangheung * Jangsu *

Jecheon Jecheon () is a city in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. The city is a major railway junction or a transportation mecca, served by the Jungang, Chungbuk and Taebaek Lines. Jecheon has scenic surroundings and several tourist spots like the ...

* Jeju-do * Jeonju * Jincheon *

Jinju Jinju () is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It was the location of the first (1592) and second (1593) Sieges of Jinju by Japanese forces during the Imjin War. The Republic of Korea Air Force Education and Training Command is ...

* Jung-gu, Seoul * Muju County *

Nam-gu, Gwangju Nam District (Nam-gu, 남구) is the southern district of Gwangju (광주광역시), South Korea. 'Nam'(南) means 'south' in Korean hanja. 'gu'(區) means 'district' of metropolitan city in Korean hanja. Subdivisions There are 43 ''dong''s, o ...

* Namhae * Seocho-gu * Seodaemun-gu * Seo-gu, Gwangju * Seongbuk-gu * Seongdong-gu * Seosan * Seoul * Sokcho * Songpa-gu * Siheung *

Suncheon, Jeollanam-do Suncheon () (''Suncheon-si'') is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is a scenic agricultural and industrial city of around 250,000 people near Suncheon Bay. It is located in the southeastern corner of Jeollanam-do, just over an hour ...

* Taebaek * Uiwang * Wando * Wonju * Yanggu, Gangwon * Yangpyeong * Yangsan * Yeongdeungpo-gu *

Yeongi Yeongi County (''Yeongi-gun'') was a county in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea now part of Sejong. Yeongi County was abolished as this area was incorporated into Sejong City as of 1 July 2012. Jochiwon Jochiwon () is a town located in S ...

* Yongsan-gu

Malaysia

Mongolia

* Ulan Bator

Netherlands

* Rotterdam

Philippines

* Caloocan * Dagupan City * Las Piñas * Makati * Marikina * Muntinlupa * Pasig *

Parañaque Parañaque, officially the City of Parañaque ( fil, Lungsod ng Parañaque, ), is a first class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to t ...

* San Fernando City, La Union * Tagaytay * Valencia City, Bukidnon

Vietnam

* Huế

References

External links

The Alliance for Healthy Cities
official Home page {{DEFAULTSORT:Alliance For Healthy Cities World Health Organization Organizations established in 2004 Public health organizations Health promotion International medical and health organizations Non-profit organizations based in Japan