The implementation of the second phase of the Healthy Cities Alliance has already begun in Bogotá. This will benefit more than 26,000 students in 15 public schools in the city, by promoting healthy eating for children, youth and their families.

"We are proud to be part of this outstanding group of cities that work to guarantee a healthy and full life for their inhabitants, which with this alliance will have an even greater impact. We are implementing a plan for effective urban health," said the mayor of Bogotá, Claudia López.

The city designed a plan that includes interventions in the infrastructure, the modification of practices to promote healthy and safe food environments, as well as activities to reduce the risk of transmission by COVID-19 in schools.

The secretaries of Health and Education, the NGO Red PaPaz, as well as other representatives of the civil society, participated in the construction of this plan due to their experience in promoting healthy food school environments, with Vital Strategies as an international ally expert on the subject.

The Mayor renewed this commitment with the Healthy Cities Alliance, after the implementation of the initial phase in 2019 was applied in eight official schools in the capital. In this first stage, a communications campaign was developed, along with the provision of equipment and support to the schools stores.

The fight against non-transmissible diseases is a vital part of the response to the pandemic in the city, taking into consideration that people with chronic diseases are more likely to develop complications associated with COVID-19 and, consequently, higher rates of mortality from the disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In Colombia, 24.4% of people of school age are overweight; this means that approximately 20 out of every 100 boys and girls live with in this condition. In addition, Bogotá is the city in the country with the highest rates of overweight with 27.7%. These data corresponds to the Nutritional Situation Survey (ENSIN) 2015.

The problems of excess weight in children are mainly associated with two factors, diet and physical activity. In Colombia, there has been an increase in the consumption of industrialized food and meals outside the home, it has also been shown that 3 out of 4 students between 13 and 17 years old consume sugary drinks one or more times a day, according to the ENSIN 2015. 

Likewise, the most recent study of perceptions and behaviors regarding public policies to protect the right to adequate food by Red PaPaz, showed that 67% of parents and caregivers agree to limit the sales of ultra-processed products and sugary beverages in school settings, and 47% reported that there are no dispensers or jugs of drinking water in schools.

For this reason, the Mayor's Office continues to advance in favor of actions that allow the creation of healthy lifestyle habits in the school population, to reduce the rates of overweight in students, and at the same time, contribute to a significant reduction of the associated risks in the transmission of COVID 19, because #yotecuidotumecuidas.

Bogotá is part of this global network made up of 70 cities that are committed to saving lives by preventing non-transmissible diseases, such as cancer or diabetes. And in the current context, the development of activities that contribute to the prevention of COVID-19.

About the Healthy Cities Alliance

The Healthy Cities Alliance is a prestigious global network of cities dedicated to saving lives by preventing non-transmissible diseases (NTDs) and injuries.

This initiative, sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies in collaboration with WHO, as well as Vital Strategies, enables cities around the world to carry out a high-impact policy or programmatic intervention to reduce risk factors for NTDs in their communities.

Reaffirming its commitment to its network of 70 cities during the COVID-19 crisis, in March 2020, the Alliance expanded its scope of work to include immediate assistance in the urban response to COVID-19.

For more information, visit: https://partnershipforhealthycities.bloomberg.org/