WHO Head of Public Health to speak on global health challenges in an increasingly urban world in Barcelona

The design and planning of our cities, public spaces and surrounding environments, whether suburban or rural, can affect our health and wellbeing. For example, in many cities around the world, according to the strength of the urban health inequalities, life expectancy can vary significantly from one neighborhood to another. Furthermore, access to natural places like public green spaces can be seen as an important catalyzer for health promotion. Similarly, the creation of supportive and healthy environments for health and wellbeing is one priority action of “Health 2020”, the new pan-European Public Health Strategy endorsed by European Ministries of Health and coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

With the aim of raising awareness of the challenges and threats to global health in a world with a growing concentration of urban areas, B·Debate —an initiative of Biocat and the "la Caixa" Foundation— and the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL) —an ISGlobal alliance research centre— are organizing a conference entitled Global Health Challenges in an Urbanizing World, on 30 October in Barcelona.

Conference by Dr. María Neira, Head of the World Health Organization Department of Public Health and Environment. Dr. Neira is a Spanish physician specializing in endocrinology, metabolic diseases and public health. She has served as president of the Spanish Food Safety Agency and as medical coordinator for Doctors without Borders in El Salvador and Honduras. She has received numerous awards, including the noteworthy Medal of the National Order of Merit from the French government. She is a member of the Royal Academy of Medicine and Surgery of the Principality of Asturias.

The conference is geared towards researchers, epidemiologists, urban planners, healthcare and social sciences professionals working in the field of urban planning and the development of city models.

Registration free of charge (through 29 October). Space limited.

The conference will be given in English.

Date: Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Time: from 6 pm to 7 pm
Venue: CosmoCaixa Barcelona • C/ Isaac Newton, 26 • Barcelona (map)

In the framework of the scientific debates Green Cities, Healthy People. Planning Healthy Urban Spaces.

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