TY - JOUR T1 - Urban health: it's time to get moving! JF - Global Health: Science and Practice JO - GLOB HEALTH SCI PRACT SP - 139 LP - 144 DO - 10.9745/GHSP-D-14-00071 VL - 2 IS - 2 AU - Victor K Barbiero Y1 - 2014/05/01 UR - http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/2/2/139.abstract N2 - The global health community should mainstream urban health and implement urban health programs to address the triple health burden of communicable diseases, noncommunicable diseases, and injuries in low- and middle-income countries. Urbanization is irreversibly increasing around the world. In 2009, the level of urbanization around the world crossed the 50% mark.1 By 2050, the world's population will exceed 9 billion and an estimated 67% will live in urban areas (Figure 1). FIGURE 1. Urban Population Growth by Region Data from the United Nations.2 The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and others portray urbanization as an important priority (Box 1).3–5 However, there is no consolidated global vision, and major investments to address urban health issues, and/or the looming social and environmental threats that urbanization will exacerbate, are few and far between. BOX 1. Urban Health Facts The urban transition is here; by 2050, 6.3 billion people will live in urban areas. Virtually all of the world's total population growth will be in urban areas of developing countries. Most growth is and will be in small and medium-sized cities. Megacities (cities with at least 10 million inhabitants) continue to grow. Urban slums predominate. The urban poor are underserved and underrepresented. Poor governance, inequity, social/economic stress, unemployment, and corruption can fuel political unrest across low- and middle-income countries. Urban growth statistics are from the United Nations.2 Between 2011 and 2030, the average annual urban growth rate in low- and middle-income countries is projected to be around 2%,2 translating to a doubling of the urban population in 35 years. Approximately 30% to 40% of urban dwellers in low- and middle-income countries live in slums; in Africa, an estimated 62% live in slums.6 A great deal of the urban slum population … ER -