Webinar title: Mental Health and Wellness in Primary Care
Urbanisation is accelerating across African countries, outpacing the capacity of healthcare services and infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing population. This results in reduced healthcare access, inadequate sanitation, increased transmission of infectious diseases, and widening health disparities. Growing evidence, both global and from the continent, highlights the urgent need to address the ‘triple threat’ of infectious diseases, lifestyle-related illnesses, and increased incidents of accidents, violence, and criminal activities. These factors exacerbate health disparities in Africa and other rapidly urbanising regions, hindering progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Understanding health determinants in complex and evolving urban environments is crucial for mitigating and preventing risk factors (including those related to climate change) that may disproportionately impact vulnerable populations.
This webinar aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of urban determinants of health (UDH), presenting evidence and case studies demonstrating how addressing urban health determinants can significantly improve health outcomes. The discussion will also highlight the role of primary healthcare practitioners in addressing UDH to prevent diseases and promote health in urban settings.
Ultimately, ensuring equitable access to healthcare will enable urban populations to benefit fully from the socio-economic opportunities that cities offer.
Speaker: Dr. Sebastiana Anna Etzo
Sebastiana A. Etzo is a global health consultant, researcher, and healthy cities advocate. Her areas of interest are health system strengthening, focusing on women’s health and rights, governance and accountability, leveraging knowledge, learning and innovations to inform strategies and programmes. With over twenty years of professional experience, Sebastiana enjoys working across different sectors and disciplines to delve into the root causes of health inequities and find creative solutions. She received a PhD in African studies (politics and sociology). Still, she continues learning and recently completed a post-graduate degree in urbanism and health at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.
Objectives:
- Provide a comprehensive overview of the urban determinants of health (UDH)
- Explain, through relevant examples, how the UDH affects equal access to healthcare
- Discuss concrete actions that primary health care professionals can take to address UDH
Date: Thursday, 24th of October 2024
Time: 3 pm Central Africa Time (CAT)
Duration: 1 hour
CPD Points: 1
