Chief Medical Officer’s annual report 2024: health in cities
Professor Whitty’s report outlines a broad range of health opportunities and challenges for city populations, and includes case studies from core cities in England.
Applies to England
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A high proportion of England’s population, and especially people living in deprivation and poverty, live in cities throughout their lives. Others come to cities early in their adult lives for work or study before moving out, often after they start a family.
Cities tend to have a high flux of movement, high concentrations of entrenched deprivation in specific areas, high proportions of younger and student populations alongside large numbers of older people, and high ethnic diversity.
Health challenges in cities addressed in the report include:
- the health effects of housing
- the food environment
- lower vaccination and screening rates
- high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- access to exercise and physical activity
- air pollution
People in cities often use the NHS and healthcare differently than those in other areas, given the transient nature of some groups within city populations.
Addressing these challenges requires a broad range of actions from policymakers, the NHS and individual citizens.