Azerbaijan in talks to join WHO’s global "Healthy Cities" initiative

Azerbaijan is currently in discussions with the World Health Organization (WHO) about joining the global “Healthy Cities” initiative, the WHO’s representative in Azerbaijan has said.

Hande Harmanci made the remarks during a panel session at the Women’s Forum of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation (OES), Caliber.Az reports citing local media.

She emphasised the importance of women’s participation in addressing climate issues and city governance. “It is essential to invest in women’s involvement in climate issues. They must be represented in city governance,” she said.

Harmanci expressed particular optimism about Azerbaijan’s engagement in the programme, especially in the Karabakh region. “I hope that Azerbaijan will join the ‘Healthy Cities’ initiative. Especially in Karabakh, we are ready to share our experience on this matter. We must build safe cities,” she added.

The WHO’s "Healthy Cities" initiative is a long-standing effort to embed health and wellbeing into the heart of urban planning and governance.

The programme promotes the creation and continual improvement of physical and social environments that support residents in leading fulfilling lives, while enabling communities to support each other and reach their full potential.

Central to the initiative is the integration of urban governance for health and wellbeing — a cross-cutting strategy designed to tackle the root causes of poor health by fostering multisectoral collaboration, inclusive policy-making, and citizen participation.

The initiative encourages governments to adopt a holistic, whole-of-society approach to future urban development, ensuring that no one is left behind.

By linking public health with broader development goals, the "Healthy Cities" initiative supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 (health and wellbeing), 11 (sustainable cities), and 17 (partnerships for the goals).

A key feature is the Regional Laboratory on Urban Governance for Health and Wellbeing, which serves as a testing ground for integrated city models.

It draws on experiences from various thematic urban projects — such as age-friendly, child-friendly, smoke-free, smart, and green cities — to build inclusive frameworks that address the social, economic, and environmental determinants of health.

Each participating city is encouraged to develop a tailored Theory of Change to guide the transition from vision to action, using good governance as a lever to promote equity and health for all.

By Aghakazim Guliyev