Health, wellbeing and nutrition
Many residents in African cities face considerable challenges relating to health, nutrition and wellbeing, along with marginalisation or exclusion in accessing healthcare – especially those living in poverty. Yet these difficulties are often masked within wider data and policy debates by the so-called “urban advantage”.
Poor access to clean water, sanitation and affordable quality health services, as well as malnutrition, have made many people living in African cities – particularly in informal settlements – vulnerable to communicable diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis. The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted the extent of health vulnerabilities in cities and the wider consequences for national and global health security, along with the fragility of food and nutrition security in many urban centres.
Improving integration between multiple city systems – including healthcare, food, water and sanitation, waste management, energy and spatial planning – is key to securing better health, wellbeing and nutrition outcomes for residents in African cities. ACRC will look at the political dimensions underlying the ability of governments to provide affordable, higher quality health services and food, exploring potential policy approaches and interventions to improve access and availability.
LATEST NEWS from ACRC


Translating research into positive urban action for Accra
Accra serves as Ghana’s capital, economic hub and critical link to the global economy. The city is estimated to host almost 5.5 million people, equating to the highest population density in Ghana.


Fostering resilient and inclusive urban development in Freetown
The Freetown uptake workshop on 23 March 2023 examined how to integrate research evidence from ACRC Freetown city studies into processes and activities to achieve congruence between policy actions and urban transformation practices and programmes in the city.


Community knowledge: Pushing the frontiers of research in Harare
Democratising research processes has long been a contested subject. While co-production of knowledge presents vast opportunities for positive development outcomes, urban research processes often continue to exclude and marginalise vulnerable groups.