The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the significant impact of transport systems on health and provides normative guidance and technical support to Member States to promote healthy transport. As a contribution to this response, The WHO Urban Health Initiative has rolled out activities in Accra, Ghana to support urban leaders to make best use of health evidence and competencies to assess the environmental, health and economic benefits of actions to improve urban environments, with a focus on air pollution. The report “Health and economic impacts of transport interventions in Accra, Ghana”, aimed at professionals and practitioners interested on transport and health, comprehensively assesses transport scenarios for the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), informed by the local policy landscape. Mitigation scenarios comparing the effects of different interventions on land use, transport mode, energy efficiency and demand showed that investing in walking, cycling and clean public transport can substantially improve urban air quality and climate emissions as well as promote physical activity, contributing to significant health and economic gains, reducing the mortality risk across the population of GAMA. Developed with the active contribution of many sectors and stakeholders, this report is also a milestone for the Urban Health Initiative, showcasing what can be achieved through multisectoral collaboration to improve the knowledge base and create the demand for action towards healthier sustainable transport.

Ambient and household air pollution are a major cause of death and disease globally. This public health threat is being increased due to the rapid urbanization process and environmental degradation that characterizes the 21st century and that have a higher impact in developing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) Urban Health Initiative (UHI) is implemented as a response to the World Health Assembly (WHA) Resolution 68.8 from May 2015, which requests WHO to build health sector capacity to work with other sectors, support countries to identify effective policy measures, track progress, and continue to update the evidence for health impacts of air pollution. WHO conducted a pilot project in the city of Accra (Ghana) to address air pollution and related health effects in cities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). The Initiative provides a health-based implementation framework to reduce deaths and diseases associated with air pollutants, and realize climate and other health benefits (e.g., less injuries and safe physical activity). Particular attention has been given to assessing the impacts of policies in sectors responsible for air pollution, specifically household energy, land-use, waste and transport activities. This report includes discussions on the main results and impacts of the pilot project conducted in Accra. And it provides guidance and available tools that can be adapted to similar initiatives around the world to assess the health impacts of air pollution, promote policies to reduce air pollution and plan healthier environments.

This book provides a collection of insightful conceptual and empirical works that situate transport and mobility challenges in the unique context of individual countries and cities while highlighting commonalities across the African continent. Written from an interdisciplinary perspective, the book covers important themes in transport and mobility including the links between urbanization, urban structure, and accessibility; transport equity and poverty, non-motorized transport, public transport, and the challenges and opportunities of new and emerging transport technologies, and ICT-mediated mobility solutions. Each chapter engages with the normative imperatives that are critical to improving the transport and mobility situations of African urban areas now and in the future.

Travel is an essential part of everyday life and today most journeys are multimodal. It is the total travel experience that counts and integrated transport must reduce the inconvenience of transfers between modes. Most research and many publications on transport policy advocate sustainable transport, but the priority given to integration has been negligible. Yet integration is one of the most important means to advance sustainable transport and sustainability more generally. While integrated transport systems are seen to be an ideal, there is a failure to make the transition from policy to practice. The authors argue that the achievement of sustainable transport is still a dream, as an integrated transport policy is a prerequisite for a sustainable transport system. It is only when the two concepts of sustainability and integration operate in the same direction and in a positive way that real progress can be made. In this book, transportation experts from across the world have addressed the questions about what is integration, why is it so important and why is it so hard to achieve? The book provides an in-depth analysis of these issues and it aims to provide a better understanding of the subject, about what should be strived for, about what is realistic to expect, and about how to move forward towards a more integrated provision of transport infrastructure, services and management.

The SDG 11.6.2 Working Group : Summary report describes the dialogue of a working group convened by WHO of sister UN agencies and international institutions involved in air quality activities to discuss the reporting criteria for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator 11.6.2 - air quality in cities - and leverage action.