Baltimore Joins Partnership for Healthy Cities Network to Advance Overdose Prevention Efforts

Baltimore, MD (April 2, 2026) – Today, the Partnership for Healthy Cities announced that the City of Baltimore is joining the network to strengthen overdose prevention efforts, following Mayor Brandon M. Scott’s announcement during his State of the City address earlier this week. The Partnership for Healthy Cities is a network of more than 70 cities supporting mayors in implementing proven, high-impact interventions to reduce noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries, which account for over 80% of all deaths globally, including heart disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancer.

Launched in 2017, as part of Michael R. Bloomberg’s role as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, the Partnership for Healthy Cities is an initiative led in collaboration with the WHO and the global health organization Vital Strategies. The Partnership supports cities around the world in advancing policies across key areas of public health.

Baltimore has made overdose prevention a central public health priority through a coordinated, data-driven approach to reduce deaths and expand access to care. Preliminary 2025 state data show overdose deaths have declined 44% since 2023, reflecting significant progress while underscoring the need to sustain lifesaving efforts. The Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Overdose Response has led this work, guided by a multi-year strategic plan and a public dashboard that informs targeted action. Baltimore has set a new goal of reducing fatal overdoses by 50% by 2040.

By joining the Partnership for Healthy Cities, Baltimore will build on this momentum by strengthening evidence-based policies, fostering interagency collaboration, and expanding proven interventions to prevent overdoses and connect residents to care. Through technical assistance, peer learning, and targeted support, the Partnership will help the City scale effective strategies and further reduce preventable deaths.

“I am proud to announce that Baltimore has joined the Partnership for Healthy Cities,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “As we continue doing the crucial, life-saving work to end the overdose crisis in our city, this partnership will connect us to a network of public health leaders worldwide. The Partnership for Healthy Cities will be an essential resource, giving us the tools we need to strengthen services for our most vulnerable residents.”

“Nothing is more important for a mayor than protecting public health and safety. Noncommunicable diseases and injuries are cutting too many lives short, often from causes we know how to prevent – so at Bloomberg Philanthropies, we’ve made helping mayors tackle them a major priority,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, and three-term mayor of New York City. “Through the Partnership for Healthy Cities, local leaders are collaborating and helping the best public health strategies spread far and wide, and we’re glad to welcome Baltimore to this effective global network.”

Partnership members choose from 16 evidence-based interventions to prevent NCDs and injuries. These measures address tobacco control, road safety, safe and active mobility, healthy food, data surveillance, heat, and overdose prevention. Participating cities’ staff receive a range of support, including technical assistance, communications resources, grants, and opportunities for in-person and virtual peer-to-peer exchanges that foster collaboration and sharing of best practices in areas of urban health and safety.

 “Cities are on the frontlines of the overdose crisis, and they are also where some of the most effective solutions are taking shape,” said Dr. Mary-Ann Etiebet, President and CEO of Vital Strategies. “By joining the Partnership for Healthy Cities, Baltimore is strengthening its commitment to evidence-based, life-saving approaches that prevent overdoses and connect people to care. We’re proud to support the city as it advances this urgent work.”

Cities in the Partnership have made important strides toward achieving their health and safety goals, including:

• Córdoba, Argentina passed a new policy committing the city to promoting healthy school food environments by eliminating sugary and artificially sweetened beverages and ultra-processed products from all schools by 2026. The program has benefited 26 schools to date, reaching 15,000 of the city’s 138,000 primary school children.

• Fortaleza, Brazil established the city’s first legal framework for air quality surveillance. The 2023 decree guarantees the local monitoring of air pollutants to estimate their impact on residents’ health, along with the installation of low-cost sensors to improve data collection. Reliable data will help inform city policies that can significantly reduce air pollution.

• Greater Manchester, UK expanded the number of outdoor smoke-free areas as part of efforts to reduce smoking, including opening its first smoke-free park, covering 6.5 acres of public space. Greater Manchester also conducted a series of community consultations and workshops with residents to help with decision-making; launched a smoke-free toolkit and communication guidance for National Health Service (NHS) hospitals and sites; and is scaling this initiative by developing a broader smoke-free spaces toolkit for other organizations and groups that want to create smoke-free spaces.

To learn more about the Partnership for Healthy Cities, click here.

About the Partnership for Healthy Cities
The Partnership for Healthy Cities is a prestigious global network of more than 70 cities committed to saving lives by preventing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries. Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with the World Health Organization and the global health organization Vital Strategies, the initiative enables cities around the world to deliver a high-impact policy or programmatic intervention to reduce NCDs and injuries in their communities. For more information, visit cities4health.org.

Media Contact
cities4health@vitalstrategies.org