The 2026 Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit in Rio de Janeiro

Cities are advancing practical, policy-driven solutions to improve health. From safer streets to healthier school food environments, local leaders are using data, community engagement and regulation to build safer, healthier communities.

More than 220 city leaders and technical experts from 55 cities gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the 2026 Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit (March 30–April 2). Over three days, city teams moved beyond high-level exchange to share concrete lessons on safer streets, healthier school food, and overdose prevention, and tested what it takes to turn evidence into sustained action. From learning labs to city-led discussions on prevention, data and real-world experience—it was clear that cities are leading that charge.

Rio de Janeiro in focus

This year’s Partnership Summit was a powerful showcase of how cities in the network are using data, community engagement and leadership to respond to urgent public health challenges—with host city Rio de Janeiro in the spotlight for its commitments in many areas including drug overdose and the rising use of e-cigarettes among young people. Summit delegates also joined local site visits to explore Rio’s work to provide healthy school meals, prevent deaths from drug overdose, and delivering noncommunicable (NCD) prevention through primary care. Above all, the host city showed what’s possible when political leadership, coupled with a well-resourced and empowered health department, can achieve for people’s health.

The Mayor of Fortaleza, Evandro Leitão joined the discussion underscoring the scale of the challenge cities face and the need to make public health a top political priority—particularly in contexts where the majority of residents rely on public health systems. He highlighted Fortaleza’s ongoing efforts to strengthen health services, expand the workforce and rebuild infrastructure to better meet residents’ needs.

Other city highlights at the Summit

• Dublin, Ireland and Nairobi, Kenya both highlighted how public health policies are stronger when local communities help shape them from the beginning. Dublin reflected on the importance of pairing infrastructure change with clear public communication and storytelling, while Nairobi spoke about overcoming real-world barriers to improving motorcycle helmet use.

• Greater Manchester, United Kingdom shared about their efforts to implement smoke-free spaces and influence broader national legislative change, highlighting the importance of data, community engagement and commitment from local leaders.

• Córdoba, Argentina, reflecting on remarkable progress in recent years on implementing healthy school food environments, argued that lasting change can only be expected when healthier choices are easier and more accessible in everyday settings.

Small-group discussions

A series of Summit “learning labs” gave participants the opportunity to explore topics in depth—from designing effective public health campaigns to strengthening policy implementation—while regional sessions enabled city teams to work together to develop practical solutions to shared challenges.

Baltimore joins the Partnership

The Summit is always an opportunity to highlight the network’s accomplishments beyond the guestlist, whether on social media or articles appearing in news outlets around the world. This year, announcements included the news that the U.S. city of Baltimore has joined the Partnership.

As in previous years, city delegations returned home with new ideas, stronger peer connections and renewed momentum to advance policies that reduce preventable deaths and injuries and improve quality of life. Across the Partnership, cities continue to demonstrate that local action—grounded in evidence and strengthened through collaboration—can drive meaningful and lasting improvements in public health.