HORUS – Health Outcomes from Raised Urban Settings

NCDs, especially diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, accounting for 17.9 million deaths per year. Diabetes, on the other hand, accounts for 2 million deaths annually. These diseases have a greater impact on vulnerable populations. This increased prevalence among this population is related to a range of social and environmental factors, lifestyles, and the impact of behavioural determinants. Low income communities, such as migrants or ethnic minorities, are still undertreated and unprotected by most.

HORUS aims to tackle NCDs, especially diabetes and CVDs, in urban built environments among vulnerable populations, mainly low-income communities, migrants and ethnic minorities. It has a twofold objective. (1) to analyse and explore the causal links between urban built environment and the prevalence of NCD risk behaviours. HORUS will focus on existing urban interventions. (2) to develop pilot interventions in Spain, Croatia and The Netherlands to promote behaviour change towards healthier lifestyles for empowering vulnerable populations, and to support citizens in making optimal use of the urban environment they live in while reducing NCD risk behaviours, especially those related to diabetes and CVDs.