15th International Conference on Housing and Urban Health Opens in Kampala

The 15th International Conference on Housing and Urban Health organised by the World Health Organisation has opened at Speke Resort Munyonyo.

The Conference intent is to offer scientific and normative guidance on healthy housing for a sustainable and equitable future.

The WHO Housing and Health Guidelines provide global, evidence-based recommendations on how to improve housing conditions; this is because housing is a major entry point for inter-sectoral public health programmes and primary prevention.

The Lord Mayor Elias Lukwago, said that the salient issues addressed therein are too critical for policy formulation in Kampala given the fact that it largely suffers from an increasing population growth, informal settlements and sprawling structures.

This comes in at a ripe moment when KCCA is reviewing its Strategic Plan 2013/14-2018/19 and at a time when Kampala has just embraced the Breath life Campaign. They will also guide unpacking the narrow scope of an ordinance on managing homesteads in Kampala.

Based on the best available evidence, the WHO Housing and health guidelines provide new guidance relevant to inadequate living space (crowding), low and high indoor temperatures, injury hazards in the home, and accessibility of housing for people with functional impairments.

In addition, the guidelines identify and summarize existing WHO guidelines and recommendations related to housing, with respect to water quality, air quality, neighbourhood noise, asbestos, lead, tobacco smoke and radon.

Finally the Lord Mayor on behalf of KCCA reiterated his and the Authority’s commitment for community cohesion, urban planning and neighbourhood planning, sanitation infrastructure management and building density space in Kampala to ensure implementation of these wonderful guidelines.