WHO participated in the panel Strengthening Urban Preparedness for 21st Century Challenges during the Global Health Security Conference 2024 held in Sydney, Australia, from 18-21 June.

The discussion included interventions from WHO’s Western-Pacific Regional Office, focusing on integrating the One Health  approach into urban planning and infrastructure development. It emphasized the importance of multisectoral actions at the human-animal-environment interface and highlighted the roles of traditional food markets in pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.

The work was underscored for its crucial links to health security and preparedness capacities, illustrating how robust urban planning can bolster resilience against emerging health threats.

WHO Head Quarters provided guidance on urban health emergency preparedness and shared key outcomes from the latest World Health Assembly on the topic. Furthermore, a third contributor elaborated on modeling and the association between climate change and the incidence of vector-borne diseases.