The KSAMC participated in the 2026 Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro from March 30 to April 2. The event was convened by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the World Health Organization, and Vital Strategies, the Summit brought together representatives from over 50 cities to exchange practical approaches to advancing public health policy.

Kingston’s focus under the Partnership is addressing urban heat—an increasingly urgent issue linked to climate change and urbanization. In line with the Summit’s emphasis on implementation, KSAMC was represented by its technical leads: Disaster Coordinator Terry Forrester; Chairman of the Public Health and Sanitation Committee, Councillor Jesse James Clarke; and Deputy City Engineer Yekini Binnie. The team engaged in focused discussions on policy design, implementation, and public engagement.

During the Summit, the delegation met with Vital Strategies, which will support KSAMCin refining policy options and advancing implementation.

This engagement marks a renewed commitment to the Partnership. Although the KSAMC first joined in 2017, no action was taken at that time. We are now moving decisively to implement this work.

Vital Strategies has also indicated its intention to undertake a technical mission to Kingston in the coming months to further assess local policy coordination and governance. Additional details will be provided once they are finalized.

We take this opportunity to once again commend the team for its strong representation of Kingston and St. Andrew at the Summit.

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