Marrakech hosts the International Conference on Urban Health from 18 to 21 November

From 18 to 21 November, Marrakech will be the global crossroads for discussions on urban health and climate action with the holding of the twentieth International Conference on Urban Health (ICUH 2024). This event, organised in partnership with the World Health Organization, UN-Habitat, the Moroccan Ministry of Health and Social Protection, as well as several Moroccan cities, will bring together practitioners, researchers and opinion leaders from around the world. The objective: to explore innovative solutions to build more resilient and healthier cities in the face of climate change challenges.

Held under the theme “A Healthier Horizon: Activating Urban Health Strategies for a Climate-Resilient Future”, this Conference will aim to foster interdisciplinary dialogue on public policy, public health, urban planning, the environment, and climate-related risk management. “With the participation of 350 to 450 experts and professionals from the public and private sectors, ICUH 2024 will offer a series of plenary sessions, working groups and round tables. Among the major themes addressed are urban resilience, climate change equity, the impacts of climate on mental and physical health, as well as strategies to strengthen health systems in response to climate emergencies,” the organisers indicate in a press release. They add that “the Conference will highlight the good practices implemented by this city in managing climate and urban health issues. Participants will also explore topics such as building adaptable urban environments, managing infectious diseases linked to environmental factors, and ways to strengthen intersectoral cooperation for more sustainable and equitable cities”.

Among the speakers at the Conference, prominent figures, such as Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, Minister of National Planning and Mayor of Marrakech, Fatiha El Moudni, Mayor of Rabat, Professor Carlos Moreno of the University of Paris Sorbonne, or even Dr. Graham Alabaster of UN-Habitat, will be present to share their expertise and perspectives on the challenges and possible solutions for sustainable urbanisation. “This international gathering will also make it possible to lay the foundations for sustainable collaboration and the exchange of good practices so that each city can effectively respond to the needs of its populations, while taking into account global climate issues,” the press release emphasises.

“ICUH 2024 is intended to be a platform for collaboration which, beyond intellectual exchanges, will serve to concretise actions aimed at making cities more resilient and public health stronger in the face of climate threats. The Conference programme offers site visits, presentations of local projects and discussions on health and urban development strategies that will help advance the resilience of cities around the world,” concludes the same source.