Focus on urban health issues

The conference is being held at the Waterfront Hall

More than 800 delegates are to attend a major three-day international health conference in Belfast.

Experts on health are to address a Healthy Cities conference which begins at the Waterfront Hall on Sunday.

Delegates at the World Health Organisation event will hear of ways to improve health in urban areas.

Case studies from Northern Ireland are to feature in the conference programme.

Belfast Healthy Cities chairman Andrew Hassard said it was an opportunity for Belfast to show it could host major events.

"It is also an opportunity to showcase some of the progressive work going on in the area of health, such as initiatives under the public health strategy Investing for Health," he said.

Programme director Joan Devlin said the main aim of the conference was to provide a platform for sharing experiences.

Declaration

Political representatives at the conference are to sign a declaration setting out priorities and values, which will be known as the Belfast Declaration.

Healthy Cities work will be guided by this document for the next five years.

Healthy Cities is an international movement under the WHO which aims to make health issues a factor in urban decision making.

More than 10,000 cities adhere to the principles of a healthy city, while 55 cities are part of the European Healthy Cities Network which formally collaborates and exchanges experiences.