Mayors from around the world attended a Mayor's Forum as part of the 9th Global Conference on Health Promotion in Shanghai on Nov 21.

The forum was hosted by James Chau, WHO Goodwill Ambassador on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Chen Zhu, Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on the National People's Congress (NPC), China, highlighted six key areas of healthy city construction:

Firstly, to build a health-oriented policy mechanism and incorporate healthy city progress into city performance assessment. Secondly, to make healthy city development plan based on residents health survey. Thirdly, to carry out community health work by building healthy communities, healthy towns, healthy workplaces, healthy schools and healthy families. Fourthly, try to build a health management system that works for all and apply a proper health strategy to different groups of people. Fifthly, develop a healthy city assessment. Sixthly, carry out trial programs and gradually promote successful practice.

Chen revealed that "essential medical law," the parent law of health care, had been enlisted in the legislative plan in the coming NPC session.

Lin Keqing, vice city mayor of Beijing, shared the capital's healthy city construction practice. As a mega city, Beijing aims to build itself as a world-leading livable metropolis and has established its "healthy Beijing" strategy, sticking to a people-oriented concept. Through the 12th and 13th Five-Year Plans for health, Beijing is enhancing the harmonious development between humans and the environment by focusing on healthy people, healthy services and healthy environments. Beijing is establishing a government-led healthy city layout, promoting health movement for all and gradually improving the construction of its healthy Beijing plan.

Hangzhou city mayor Zhang Hongming from Zhejiang province talked about the city's achievements in healthy city construction and positive changes for citizens. The city has developed its green transportation, leading to it being ranked among the top 8 bicycle service cities around the world by the BBC. It has also poured efforts into developing a more livable environment, more comprehensive health service, a city-wide fitness program, a well-cultivated healthy culture and more healthy projects.

Wang Liqin, a retired table tennis player and Shanghai resident representative, said at the forum that sports activities are a very important part in healthy city construction. He suggested for more fitness trials, bicycle trials, football pitches and basketball courts, and other public sports facilities to be built. He also talked about enhancing health education and sports training for youth and developing sports clubs and social organizations.