The Belo Horizonte Observatory for Urban Health (OSUBH)
Belo Horizonte - Minas Gerais
Improving health in intense urbanization areas since 2002, the Belo Horizonte Observatory for Urban Health (OSUBH, in Portuguese initials) is a partnership of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) with the Belo Horizonte Municipality.
Founded in 2002, its mission is to build workforce capacity in population health research and to conduct urban-themed studies that can drive planning for improving urban health, especially in urban areas associated with intra-urban inequalities.
Scientific focus and goals
It focuses in the acquisition of in-depth knowledge on urban health through scientific research, seeking to improve public health services at both individual and community levels.
Its goals also include understanding the social and environmental conditions of urban life in order to allow the implementation of specific intervention strategies and policies.
In this year, the OSUBH in partnership with the School of Medicine of UFMG and with the International Society for Urban Health is hosting the 10th International Conference on Urban Health (ICUH) that will be held November 1-5, 2011 in Belo Horizonte City.
The main theme to be addressed at the 10th ICUH will be urban health action toward equity, with special interest in the urban context, its metrics, and interventions. Find out more at www.icuh2011.com
Research team and efforts
Main current projects
- Health in BH Study - Saúde em Beagá”, comprising 3 subprojects:
- Move-se Project – lifestyle, diet and physical activity
- Social Determinants of Health – neighborhood physical and social environment
- Adolescent´s well being - cultural, behavior, health and safety
- Systematic Social Observation
- Road Safety 10 Project - “Vida no Trânsito”
- Crack Use in Urban Areas
The OSUBH is coordinated by Dr.Waleska Caiaffa and Dr. Fernando Proietti, and has a team of teachers, researchers, undergraduate and postgraduate, comprising more than 20 people. The OSUBH team is engaged in literature reviews, in developing a city-wide database of urban indicators to ensure the inclusion of action-oriented health data, gathering information and documents of interventions, programs and plans to improve the health of the city’s population.
Also, the OSUBH develops tools, conducts original data collection and statistical analyses, using contemporary approaches.
The intent of these combined efforts is to provide an empirical basis for determining which urban health interventions might work best in specific contexts.
Urban Health - Global Perspectives
Summary
The Belo Horizonte case study presented how quantitative measures can be developed and used to inform policy and programmatic planning for cities. Three different indicators were used to provide information about various dimensions of cities.
Evidence showed that resources were distributed in a way asto address the more vulnerable populations. By engaging a democratic participation of the population through Participatory Budgeting, the initiative was able to advance a new model of governance and developed several interventions in the city with public health implications.