Developing a participatory approach to building a coalition of transdisciplinary actors for healthy urban planning in African cities - a case study of Douala, Cameroon

Abstract

Africa is undergoing rapid urbanisation with migration into informal settlements. Exposure to these environments is associated with a rise in infectious and non-communicable diseases. Addressing these urban health challenges will require collaboration across sectors that influence health. However, the siloed nature of policymaking means that little is known about the barriers and facilitators of integrated intersectoral policy approaches for improving health through urban planning and development. Furthermore, the transdisciplinary research methodological approaches to establishing intersectoral collaboration are not well documented in Africa. We utilised participatory methods to engage a variety of stakeholders in the co-design and conduct of a transdisciplinary workshop. Through co-development processes, this workshop was designed to explore stakeholder perspectives on urban health priorities in Douala municipalities and experiences of intersectoral collaboration. We describe the process and experience of co-creation of the workshop agenda between academic, policy, private and civil society partners. We further present stakeholder experiences of intersectoral collaboration prior to the workshop, convey their understanding of the urban drivers of ill health, and discuss perspectives on strategies to mitigate these health risks through human settlement intervention. This study documents the development of a participatory transdisciplinary approach to urban health in rapidly urbanising Africa.