World Health Organization (WHO) Prishtina Office in cooperation with UN-HABITAT’s Municipal Spatial Planning Support Programme and Municipal Assembly of Prishtina marked 7^th April – World Health Day.

The round table was organized under this year’s motto of the World Health Day “1000 Cities 1000 Lives, Urban Health Matters” which aimed at developing ideas on how to deal with the rapid urbanization and how to develop a new paradigm of public health.

Participants present in this round table were from the different fields and they expressed their visions, achievements, and problems that challenge health at the global and Kosovo level, in the debate “Urban Health Matters”.

The round table was honored by the presence of the Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, deputy minister of Health, Development coordinator of UN Agencies, Head of WHO Prishtina office, deputy mayor of the Municipality of Prishtina, representatives of UN-HABITAT, representatives from the UN-Agencies present in Kosovo, environment and health experts, civil society organizations and citizens.

Presentations done by the panelists brought a clear picture on what is happening around the world concerning urban health and the opportunities for improving the existing situation and promote healthy and inclusive cities. 

The debate was mostly related to Kosovo cities and the issues that were most frequently mentioned were: the safety, health challenges related to water, environment, violence and injury, the risk factors like tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol and all of them were as recommendations to the central and local government to be put at the heart of the urban policy and make the growing cities healthy cities.