How urbanization affects the epidemiology of emerging infectious diseases

Neiderud, Carl-Johan

Urban population Á a heterogeneous group with different living conditions Cities around the world can look very different if you compare the living conditions for the residents. However, it is not only different cities that can have completely diverse standards of infrastructure and social security. The same city can provide very varying conditions for their residents. Living in the slums compared to more wealthy neighbourhoods, will expose the inhabitants to different risks. Traditionally cities can offer many advantages compared to rural settings, but under certain circumstances they can rather be a health hazard. The rapid migrations of people to cities can lead to overcrowding, which can generate slums or shanty towns. These slums are characterized by poor housing, lack of fresh water, and bad sanitation facilities (2) . All of these shortages can be a threat to the residents' health and be a possible breeding ground for infectious diseases. The location of slums are often outside of the city centres, in more hazardous locations and the population feels a lack of social and economic opportunities compared with other residents. In sub-Saharan Africa, 62% of the urban population in 2012 lived in shanty towns (2) . For example, in 2009, 96% of the urban population in Central African Republic lived in these slums (6) . In Kenya's capital Nairobi, 60% of the population lives in slums, and child mortality there is 2.5 times greater than other parts of the city (9). The community and health care services have great challenges to provide the entire population with equal and adequate service. The collected parties need to be aware of the differences in threats with respect to infectious diseases, both at the local and governmental levels.