Department Organizes Session on Urban Health

David Vlahov, PhD, RN; Jessica Kritz, JD, MDR; Alayne Adams, and; Jennifer Huang Bouey, PhD, MPH.

May 12, 2017 – Last month, the Department of International Health organized an event exploring health challenges arising from global urbanization. Co-sponsored by Georgetown, the International Society for Urban Health, and the New York Academy of Medicine, the event doubled as a satellite session of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) Annual Conference, which was held in Washington, DC.

The event featured two sections. The first centered on concepts of strengthening governance for urban health. It featured presentations on health governance ramifications in New York City, sustainable urban architectural development, and the implications of climate change in urban settings.

The second section packed seven presentations in lightning-talk format, including five from Georgetown faculty. Topics included: migrant health, pandemic preparedness, “syndemics,” health policy formation from strategic data, cross-sector collaboration, policy analysis, and potential private-sector partnerships – all in an urban health context.

Impetus for the satellite session came from the Department’s Working Group on Urban Health. Launched in 2016 and chaired by Alayne Adams, PhD, associate professor of international health, the Working Group aims to promote research and dialogue on the topic. Further events are in development.

– Summary by the Department of International Health