6. (Un)Healthy Cities: Reflections on Urban Public Health in Poor Neighbourhoods

Health is a critical indicator of human well-being because an ailing population cannot spur socio-economic development of a community. As high population densities allow the spread of infectious diseases, cities were historically unhealthy places, only able to maintain their populations through in-migration. The provision of clean water and sound sanitation changed the situation dramatically, enabling the growth of large urban areas. However, where basic services such as water, sanitation, and stormwater drainage are neglected, the situation can rapidly deteriorate. The prevailing patterns of urbanisation in Zimbabwe expose urbanites to numerous infectious diseases such as typhoid, cholera, influenza, and zoonotic diseases and sexually transmitted diseases. Based on a mix of desktop and empirical research from Harare, this chapter maps and characterises the public health problems that are increasingly overwhelming cities in Zimbabwe. Cities in Zimbabwe are experiencing degradation of natural environments, poorly built environments with unsafe drinking water, sanitation and waste management, all arising from poor urban management and contributing to urban poverty. This chapter therefore argues that despite the vulnerability of these urban areas to health threats, the planning and management of cities seem to marginalise health concerns, rather than integrating them into the land use and urban planning systems.