The Belo Horizonte Observatory for Urban Health: its history and current challenges

Abstract The Belo Horizonte Observatory for Urban Health (OSUBH), housed in an academic setting, was founded in 2002 as part of a broader agenda to strengthen local and national health systems. Its mission is to build the capacity of the workforce in research on population health and to conduct studies on urban issues that can guide the planning of activities aimed at improving the health of populations, especially in heavily urbanized areas, associated with intra-urban inequalities. It focuses on the acquisition of advanced knowledge on urban health (metric) through scientific research, to contribute to public policies that may interfere with health, both at individual and community levels. During its lifetime, many partnerships and studies have been developed, but many challenges still exist in order for it to consolidate its position as a legitimate space and as a tool to generate systematic information for governments and populations.