Community Voices are Heard at the ICUH

Dancers start opening ceremonies at ICUH in Nairobi. Photo by Amy Hart

The 8th annual International Conference on Urban Health (ICUH) opened with a lively burst of African dancing and drumming in Nairobi, Kenya, this rainy Sunday afternoon.

For most Northerners, the spirit of an outdoor festivity might be sullied by a huge downpour, but to Kenyans who have suffered a long drought, the rains were seen as a great blessing for this auspicious occasion ??? the first ICUH ever held in Africa.

“If it is coming outside Europe and America for the first time, of course it has to begin in Nairobi, Kenya,” said the Honorable Elizabeth Ongoro Masha, Member of Parliment for Kasarani, and Assistant Minister for the Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development, at the opening of the Community Voices Forum, the first of many events at this year’s ICUH.

While the problems of millions of slum dwellers in poor developing nations may seem far away, they have been top of mind to The New York Academy of Medicine’s (NYAM) Dr. David Vlahov, Senior Vice President for Research and Director of NYAM’s Center for Epidemiological Studies, who founded the International Society of Urban Health (ISUH) and spearheaded the first ICUH in 2002 with funding from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Dr. Fotso (center) introduces Hon. Elizabeth Ongoro Masha to Dr. Vlahov. Photo by Amy Hart

“The 19th century was the century of empires; the 20th was the century of nations; and the 21st is the century of cities,” Vlahov told the crowd. “Over half the population currently lives in cities; by the end of the century it will be three-quarters of the population. If we are to have healthy cities, urbanization has to be addressed by our researchers, scholars, philanthropists, corporations and policymakers in collaboration with city residents ??? particularly residents of informal settlements,” more commonly referred to as slums.

Dr. Vlahov co-chaired today’s events with the current president of ICUH, Dr. Jean-Christophe Fotso. “This conference will provide an important forum where government officials responsible for urban planning and provisions of services will deliberate with researchers and members of the communities and other stakeholders, in terms of policies and programs to address the numbers of health challenges that the ever-growing population of urban residents face,” said Fotso.

The challenges ??? along with many solutions ??? were shared by residents and service providers during today’s Community Voices Forum. Under tents that protected viewers from the rain, Hon. Ongoro Masha, Vlahov, Fotso,

Participants spoke out at the Community Voices Forum. Photo by Amy Hart

Dr. James Nyoro from the Rockefeller Foundation, along with a large crowd of participants, heard community leaders share their insights and solutions on major themes including Reproductive and Maternal-Child Health; Urban Health Systems; Urban Physical Infrastructure including water and sanitation, energy, schools and housing ??? and other issues such as Health Threats of Cities.

Solutions included health insurance cooperatives that provide healthcare to impoverished people, drug rehabilitation programs that transform street criminals into professional performers and social leaders, and new energy initiatives that transform human waste into bio-energy. The presenter on bio-energy got a good laugh out of the crowd when he clarified the terminology of the project, “We don’t refer to it as human waste; we refer to it as human resources!”

Presenter proudly holds up local community paper. Photo by Amy Hart

The presentations brought about lively discussions and Ongoro Masha ended the day by saying, “I am very encouraged by this forum. It is by listening to the people who actually live in the slums that we will find sustainable solutions. This forum allows that conversation to develop.”

“I’m very pleased with today’s presentations, we’re off to a great start,” said Vlahov, “The theme of this year’s ICUH is Meeting Urban Health Needs through Innovative Research, Policies and Interventions, and we certainly heard a lot of very innovative solutions today.”

The ICUH will continue throughout the week at the Kenyatta International Conference Center. www.icuh2009.org

Photo Essays from the International Conference on Urban Health

Day two: "The Face of Urban Poverty"
Press release on conference: NYAM Experts Join in Novel Outreach at Global Meeting to Spotlight Urban Health Challenges

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The 2009 ICUH conference is sponsored by Rockefeller Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The MacArthur Foundation, USAID, The Wellcome Trust, The National Institute on Drug Abuse, and The World Health Organization.

The International Society on Urban Health (ISUH) is an association of researchers, scholars and professionals from various disciplines and areas of the world who study the health effects of urban environments and urbanization. The goals of ISUH are to encourage research, interventions and program evaluations that lead to healthier cities in the 21st century.

The New York Academy of Medicine is an independent organization that addresses the health challenges facing the world’s urban populations through interdisciplinary approaches to innovative research, education, community engagement and policy leadership. (www.NYAM.org)

Photo Essay by Amy Hart, October 18, 2009

Posted on October 19, 2009

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