Urbanisation and infectious diseases in a globalised world - The Lancet

The world is becoming urban. The UN predicts that the world’s urban population will almost double from 3·3 billion
in 2007 to 6·3 billion in 2050. Most of this increase will be in developing countries. Exponential urban growth is
having a profound eff ect on global health. Because of international travel and migration, cities are becoming important
hubs for the transmission of infectious diseases, as shown by recent pandemics. Physicians in urban environments
in developing and developed countries need to be aware of the changes in infectious diseases associated with
urbanisation. Furthermore, health should be a major consideration in town planning to ensure urbanisation works to
reduce the burden of infectious diseases in the future.