IN FOCUS

As every available nook and corneron an already burdened earth sellsfor sky-rocketing prices, the ragingissue of crowded cities,with,popu-lation tearing at its seams, onceagain takes centre stage. What havethe cities of today the world overhave to offer to its citizens?Squalor, diseases, scarcity of foodand water, polluted air and violence to name just a few. "HealthyCities for Better Life" -the themechosen by the World HealthOrganization (WHO) to commemorate the World Health Day onApril 7, '96 seeks to address theissues at hand.

WHO's Healthy Cities programme basically covers two mandates -improving urban healthand mitigating environmentalproblems. Intrinsic to its functioning is the idea ofpeoples' participation: what people contribute is what people gain. A healthy city as per WHO's guidelines would beone which could provide a cleanand safe environment and meet thebasic needs of its citizens, amongother things.The current scenarioof urban cities is grim. And at thebottom of such day-to-day stress isthe health of the city inhabitantwhich has taken a beating likenever before. Said Uton MuchtarRafei, regional director, WHO'sSouth-east Asia region, on the eveof the World Health Day, "Thephenomenal growth of urban populations, particularly in developingcountries, caUs for concerted andurgent action to ensure healthyliving conditions."

One can take hope from the factthat now a global network seems tobe emerging to make living conditions in cities a more healthierprospect. The UN Centre forHuman Settlements, the UN Development Programme, the International Labour Organization andthe World Bank are gearing uptowards "Habitat II", the secondUN conference on Human Settlements to be held in June, where theconcept ofWHO's H,ealthy Citiesprogramme will come to the fore.