The Kingdom leads in adopting healthy cities: enhancing quality of life
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues its leadership in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa region by increasing the number of accredited Healthy Cities to 16, according to World Health Organization standards. This achievement reflects the intensive efforts of the Ministry of Health's Healthy Cities Program and highlights the fruitful cooperation between various government entities to achieve sustainable healthy environments.
The Kingdom's commitment to improving quality of life
Minister of Health Fahd bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel affirmed that this progress reflects the Kingdom's commitment to making human health a central focus of urban development, in line with the goals of Vision 2030. He pointed out that this approach aligns with the priorities of the health sector in empowering individuals to be active partners in their health care, and investing in modern technologies to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of the health system.
The Healthy Cities Program: A Model for Regional and Global Cooperation
The Kingdom’s Healthy Cities Program is the first WHO Collaborating Centre in the region and the fourth globally. The program works in partnership with government agencies to redefine health as an integral part of daily life by promoting healthy urban planning and encouraging community participation.
Healthy Cities Accreditation Standards
The accreditation of healthy cities requires meeting 80 international standards distributed across nine main axes, including community empowerment for health and development, intersectoral cooperation, providing a community information center, as well as skills development and capacity building, health services, the urban environment, emergency preparedness standard, education, and support for small businesses.
A qualitative shift in urban development
The expansion of healthy cities initiatives reflects a qualitative shift in urban development, representing a sustainable path that promotes prevention and empowers communities to build environments that support health and quality of life. This approach reinforces the Kingdom's leadership in this field and strengthens its position as a model for achieving sustainable development.
