BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN
To address health challenges related to rapid urbanization, the government has been performing various activities in urban areas. As part of it, the government has been supporting to promote urban health leadership and provide capacity building in cities and towns across the country in collaboration with civil society partners, urban communities with cost-effective, high quality, appropriately targeted support and services.
Launching Non- Motorized Transport (NMT) Strategy 2020-29 on May, Dagmawit Moges, Minister of Transport said that as Ethiopia is experiencing rapid economic and population growth, an inclusive transport system is essential for the country’s development. Although a majority of Ethiopians walk and cycle, motorized transport is still favored over non-motorized transport, leading to increasing congestion, worsening air quality, and poor access to employment and educational opportunities. The government is committed to adopting a more equitable approach that addresses the mobility needs of all citizens.
The country has planned to implement the strategy over the next ten years to improve mobility and facilitate inclusive urbanization. The government will invest in walking, cycling, and public transport and manage private vehicle use. The strategy emphasizes the necessity of considering all residents, including women, children, and persons with disabilities, in mobility plans and budgets.
The Ministry of Transport, through the Federal Transport Authority (FTA) believed to play a leadership role in disseminating the NMT Strategy and monitoring progress. In addition, FTA will drive coordination among the different implementing agencies by forming a national NMT Committee. Implementation will be driven by respective government institutions at the national and regional levels.
Each city will prepare a Sustainable Mobility Plan (SMP) that complements the city’s Master Plan. All projects funded by the government involving construction of streets will need to incorporate high-quality NMT facilities, as guided by an urban street design manual.
The Ministry will follow an inclusive planning process, and we call on all residents to play an active role in the transformation of our streets and our public spaces. Sustainable transport not only will improve mobility for all Ethiopians, but also will lead to a climate-friendly, healthy, active and prosperous future for our nation, she said.
A solution for a significant public health challenges is city planning that reduces non-communicable diseases and road trauma while also managing rapid urbanization. The health impacts of city planning through transport mode choices. Encourage walking, cycling, and public transport use, while reducing private motor vehicle use are key to maintain urban public health.
These interventions are destination accessibility, equitable distribution of employment across cities, managing demand by reducing the availability and increasing the cost of parking, designing pedestrian-friendly and cycling-friendly movement networks, achieving optimum levels of residential density, reducing distance to public transport, and enhancing the desirability of active travel modes.
Together, these interventions will create healthier and more sustainable compact cities that reduce the environmental, social, and behavioral risk factors that affect lifestyle choices, levels of traffic, environmental pollution, noise, and crime.
The health sector, including health ministers, must lead in advocating for integrated multi-sector city planning that prioritize health, sustainability, and livability outcomes, particularly in rapidly changing low-income countries like Ethiopia.
Moreover, the problems arising from cities designed for privately owned vehicles were clear. Combined with rapid urbanization and population growth, car-centric city design has led to unhealthy and unsustainable lifestyles, including increasing levels of physical inactivity, overweight and obesity, as well as traffic congestion, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. This has been to the significant detriment of human health and to the built and natural environment.
Many health benefits and adverse impacts are associated with current urban transportation systems. Transportation related public health problems such as crashes, noise and air pollution have been quantified as functions of traffic volume or associated to the proximity to major roads. Kilometers travelled by car induce public health problems to people living in locations along car trip.
According to documents, combining transportation and land use planning can ensure coordination of policy and practice in these interconnected government functions. To address risk of displacement or gentrification after investment, policies must require implementation of meaningful community engagement and involvement of housing authorities, starting in the planning process.
Besides, regular physical activity is an essential health behavior that reduces the risk of numerous chronic conditions and promotes mental and physical well-being. Beyond physical activity, environments that support active transportation promote mobility, healthy lifestyles, reduced traffic congestion, and positive environmental impacts and generate economic benefit.
Hence, how to encourage people to be more active has been a big challenge to urban planners and designers.
Similarly, priorities for promoting public health in urban environments needs minimizing the experience of uncontrollable social density and provision of quality, affordable housing which provide individuals the opportunity to escape unwanted social density and noise, minimizing social isolation and exclusion, particularly in populations at highest risk for isolation and loneliness and designing urban public space to facilitate social cohesion and support resilience to social stress are important.
To create healthy, more sustainable urban areas, there is urgent need for integrated planning, focus on evidence-informed policy-making, and the benchmarking and monitoring of the implementation of those policies.
The Ethiopian Herald January 9 /2021
