Healthier Cities Could Help Close Cardiovascular Prevention Gaps

CITIES could play a greater role in preventing cardiovascular disease by improving transport, housing, and access to healthy environments, according to experts speaking during a panel discussion on urban health.

The session explored how decisions made outside healthcare services can influence cardiovascular risk, with speakers calling for closer collaboration between local government, clinicians, public health organisations, and communities.

Bringing Prevention Closer to Communities

Panellists highlighted that cities shape many of the conditions affecting health, including exposure to air pollution, opportunities for physical activity, and access to affordable services. They argued that municipal action could help make prevention more systematic and reach populations underserved by existing approaches.

Health inequalities were central to the discussion. Poverty, insecure employment, and poor housing can combine to increase health risks while limiting opportunities to adopt healthier behaviours. Speakers stressed that prevention initiatives should therefore reflect residents’ circumstances and involve communities in their design.

The discussion also highlighted barriers facing women, particularly those balancing paid employment with unpaid caring responsibilities. Accessible local services and opportunities for physical activity were identified as potential ways to support prevention within busy daily lives.

Transport Policies Offer Health and Climate Benefits

Cassie Sutherland, representing C40 Cities, described how urban transport policies can address environmental challenges while supporting healthier populations.

Examples included the expansion of cycling infrastructure and changes to street design in Paris, investment in connected public transport in Delhi, and London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone. These approaches were presented as opportunities to reduce pollution, encourage active travel, and improve access to employment and services.

The panel emphasised that infrastructure must also be safe and accessible. Cycling routes, lower traffic speeds, and measures to reduce vehicle exposure around schools were discussed as complementary components of healthier urban environments.

Moving Beyond Individual Projects

Securing sustained investment remains a challenge. Speakers called for stronger evaluation of both health outcomes and economic benefits to help successful initiatives attract funding and expand to other cities.

They also highlighted the need to coordinate budgets and responsibilities across departments. Climate budgeting, pioneered in Oslo, was discussed as one approach to embedding shared objectives into municipal spending decisions. A similar principle could help cities incorporate health considerations across policy areas.

The session concluded that cities offer an important setting for cardiovascular prevention, but lasting progress will require coordinated leadership, community participation, and funding that supports action over the long term.

Reference

The urban opportunity for cardiovascular prevention [panel discussion]. Presented at: The Economist Cardiovascular Health Summit 2026; 04 Nov, 2026; London UK.