WHO Healthy Cities Joins as a Co-Host of the Wellbeing Economy Forum 2025
- Lísbet Sigurðardóttir
- Mar 18
- 2 min read
The Wellbeing Economy Forum 2025 is set to be a landmark event, bringing together global leaders, policymakers, and experts to explore how economies can better serve people and the planet. We are delighted to announce that WHO Healthy Cities will again be a co-host, further strengthening the Forum’s commitment to integrating health and wellbeing into economic decision-making on all levels.
WHO Healthy Cities: A Vision for Urban Wellbeing
Since its launch in 1987, WHO Healthy Cities has been at the forefront of promoting health and wellbeing in urban environments. With over 1,400 cities across Europe engaged in the initiative, the program recognises that cities play a pivotal role in shaping the conditions that influence public health, social equity, and sustainable development. By focusing on determinants of health, including environmental sustainability, community resilience, and participatory governance, Healthy Cities aligns perfectly with the Wellbeing Economy approach.
Kira Fortune Joins the Advisory Board
We are also thrilled to welcome Kira Fortune to our advisory board. She is responsible for Healthy Cities, Health Promotion and Well-being in the Regional WHO Office of Europe. Kira has spent the last 25 years specialising in public health, equity, community engagement and the social determinants of health in various international organizations across the globe. She brings invaluable expertise in integrating health considerations across sectors, ensuring that wellbeing is not just a goal but a driving force behind policies and urban development strategies. Her leadership in WHO’s flagship initiative on Healthy Cities will provide critical insights into how economic policies can create thriving, inclusive communities, with special focus on enhancing local preparedness and response capacities.
The Intersection of Health and Wellbeing Economies
The Wellbeing Economy Forum and WHO Healthy Cities share a common mission: to shift the focus from economic growth alone to holistic prosperity that prioritizes health, sustainability, and equity. In urban settings, this includes:
Embedding health into economic policies to create resilient communities.
Addressing social determinants of health such as housing, air quality, and access to green spaces.
Strengthening multi-sector collaboration between health, environment, transport, and economic planning.
Leveraging wellbeing indicators to measure success beyond GDP.
(World Economic Forum, 2021; World Health Organization [WHO], 2023).
Keep an eye out for more updates as we get closer to this exciting event. Wishing you a great week!
References: World Health Organization (WHO). (2023). Political statement of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network: Towards thriving societies – Advancing health in the well-being economy. WHO Regional Office for Europe. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/376153/WHO-european-healthy-cities-network-Utrecht-statm-2023-eng.pdf
World Economic Forum. (2021). Healthy cities and communities playbook. World Economic Forum & Oliver Wyman Forum. https://www.weforum.org/publications/healthy-cities-and-communities-playbook/
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