Bupa’s global Healthy Cities programme has reached a major milestone, supporting more than one million people in 50+ cities across 24 countries in 2025.
Designed to help people living in cities adopt healthier and more sustainable lifestyles, Healthy Cities connects the health of people with the health of the environments in which they live. The programme reflects Bupa’s belief that good health is shaped long before medical care is needed – by the air we breathe, the places we live, the food we eat and the strength of our communities, while encouraging people to adopt healthy, active lifestyles.
Championing healthier, climate-resilient cities
Cities are home to a growing majority of the world’s population and are increasingly on the frontline of climate and health challenges. By 2050, around 70% of people globally are expected to live in urban areas, making cities critical hubs for improving health outcomes at scale.
Bupa’s Healthy Cities platform exists to help meet this challenge by advancing preventative health and investing in urban nature regeneration. Through tailored, city-led initiatives, the programme empowers individuals and communities to build healthier habits, strengthens local environments and delivers long-term, measurable benefits for both people and planet.
Research by the ‘Resilient Cities, Reimagining Health’ partnership between the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) and the Resilient Cities Network, led by Bupa and Reckitt, in the Preventative Health: A Case for Action (2025) supports taking a proactive approach, estimating that climate-conscious preventative health measures in cities could save over 725,000 lives annually and cut healthcare costs by $70 billion.
Real impact in communities
Launched in 2015 in Spain and now a global initiative, the Healthy Cities programme encourages people to adopt sustainable and healthy lifestyles, while Bupa invests in regenerating urban environments for people to thrive.
Through participation in the 2025 Healthy Cities Challenge and wider community initiatives, customers, colleagues, partners and members of the public have helped unlock more than £3 million for urban nature regeneration projects worldwide. These investments support activities such as tree planting, green space restoration and community-led environmental projects, improving access to nature, supporting mental and physical wellbeing, and helping cities adapt to ever-increasing climate pressures.
Healthy Cities also brings businesses, city leaders, charities and climate experts together to co-create solutions that no single organisation could deliver alone.
Looking ahead
Healthy Cities continues to expand under Bupa’s Better World Sustainability Strategy, with a growing focus on scale, impact and partnership. In 2026, Bupa aims to increase its support to three million people through the programme, with longer-term ambitions to reach five million people, expand into 50 cities and regenerate 75,000 hectares of urban nature.
The programme’s evolution reflects Bupa’s wider ambition to shift healthcare from treatment to prevention, helping people stay healthier for longer while also easing pressure on healthcare systems and supporting a more sustainable future.
Get involved
Healthy Cities is open to customers, partners and communities around the world. By taking part in the Healthy Cities Challenge or supporting local regeneration initiatives, individuals and organisations can play a practical role in shaping healthier, more climate-resilient cities for future generations.
