ABSTRACT
Urbanization in the southern hemisphere is rapidly increasing, and estimates indicate that more than half of the global population will live in urban agglomerations in the next century. The consequences for the health status of these urban and peri-urban populations are substantial and call for comprehensive attention and public health action. The health problems which are typical for the South, such as infectious diseases like measles, meningitis, malaria, cholera and AIDS, will remain and even increase. The plethora of social problems linked to urbanization have led and will continue to lead to important psychosocial problems, and are a key factor for the social development of the urban areas. This chapter summarizes the determinants of urban health status. Available data were reviewed and compared with rural data from the same country in order to reveal the distinct patterns of the health status of urban populations.
