During the Seventy-Fifth World Health Assembly (WHA), 22-28 May 2022, WHO Member states adopted the landmark resolution WHA75.7 on Strengthening Health Emergency Preparedness and Response In Cities and Urban Settings.

It was an historic moment, as it is the first WHA resolution on cities and urban issues since the 1990s, and underlines the importance of cities and urban settings to WHO’s work in health emergencies. Cities and local authorities have an important role in preventing, preparing for and responding to health emergencies, in part because cities can be uniquely vulnerable, due to population density, the movement of people in and out, and the vulnerability of some communities themselves.

Concurring on the need for cities and urban settings to be better prepared to respond to health emergencies, the resolution calls for more action and resources in these unique settings. It emphasizes better funding, planning, cooperation across regions and between cities, and a better overall understanding and focus on unique issues faced by people living in these areas.

The resolution was co-sponsored by 18 countries from across all six WHO regions: Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America and Vanuatu.

The Resolution focuses on the implementation of the WHO Framework for Strengthening Health Emergency Preparedness in Cities and Urban Settings, which was launched by the WHO Director-General Dr Tedros and Minister of Health of Singapore, Mr Ong, at the start of this year.

The resolution and the framework build upon the work and outcomes of the Technical Working Group on Advancing Health Emergency Preparedness in Cities and Urban Settings during COVID-19 and Beyond, co-hosted by WHO and the Government of Singapore in early 2021, and it builds upon the interim guidance and checklist for strengthening preparedness in cities and urban settings that we published in 2020.