Agis Tsouros, MD, PhD Conversations on Urban Health - Dr Yonette Thomas

Dr. Tsouros is a leading international expert with 30 years of experience in the fields of health policy, urban health and healthy cities, inter-sectoral governance and health in all policies, social determinants of health and equity and health promotion. His Global Healthy Cities initiative is focused on providing leadership and engagement for municipal leaders who want to promote health and sustainability at the local level. Agis points out that it has taken almost four decades to realize that many of the public health challenges of our time can be dealt with effectively at a local level. National policies are always helpful and important. However, it is mayors and local governors who the power to mobilize various constituencies to work together for the health and wellbeing of the urban population.

Agis stresses that when we talk about health we are talking about health in its widest sense – not only the absence of disease. We need to make it understood that health is not just the health sector. Health is basically every sector in our society. He underlines and is keen to make it understood that if we really want to mobilize local government and different sectors to focus on urban health and health equity, we need legitimacy and leadership which can come only from the top. You need a champion to embrace the thinking of making health a priority and a value for the city’s development. Every sector should be engaged in the mobilization to work for health. This is where he is making a difference with his Global Healthy Cities initiative.