This session explores how interdisciplinary approaches can contribute to designing appropriate policies to make cities healthier.

The first two interventions will deal with two important social determinants of health: gender and poverty/informality. The speakers will first present the particular needs of these vulnerable categories of populations, and then propose innovative ways to address them.

The two following presentations will deal with environmental determinants of health in different contexts (Brussels and Western Africa). After presenting the contextual characteristics, the two speakers will also present research and policy approaches to improve policy responses.

Then a discussant will reflect on how citizen initiatives can boost urban health by pushing government actors for action.

Presentations:

• Geoffrey I. Nwaka, Department History and International Relations, Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria: Protecting and Promoting the Health and Well-being of the Poor and Informal Sector Workers in Nigerian Cities.
• Laura Lauwers, Dep. Primary and Interdisciplinary Care, University of Antwerp, Belgium: Urban environment and mental health: the NAMED (Nature Impact on Mental Health Distribution) project, interdisciplinary approach for environmental health research on environment, air and noise pollution in Brussels
• Nonvignon Marius Kedote, Health and Environment Department, Regional Institute of Public Health Comlan Alfred Quenum / Ecohealth Chair / University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin: Linking health and environment – Citizen participation and social equity in a risk reduction intervention linked to air pollution in Abidjan, Cotonou, Dakar and Ouagadougou

Panel:

• Inés Sánchez de Madariaga, Professor on Urban Planning at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
• Koen Wynants, Commons Lab Antwerpen, Belgium

Moderator: Elisabeth Paul, Université de Liège and Julie Steendam, VivaSalud

Simultaneous interpretation English – French