Jeddah
The Saudi city of Madinah has been acknowledged by the World Health Organization (WHO) as among the world’s healthiest cities. The holy city gained the accreditation after a visiting WHO team said that it met all the global standards required to be a healthy city.
Madinah is believed to be the first city with a population of more than 2 million to be recognized under the organization’s healthy cities programme.
A total of 22 government, community, charity and volunteer agencies helped prepare for the WHO accreditation, reports Arab News. The city’s integrated programme included a strategic partnership with Taibah University to record government requirements on an electronic platform for the organization’s review.The WHO also recommended that the university provide training to other national city agencies interested in taking part in the healthy cities programme.