Table 5 Factors that enabled the urban population health initiative to work towards the introduction of policies with a proven impact on health

• Clear national governance with goals and strategies that are aligned to those of the initiative

• Strong local and global partner(s) who support the implementation by the local partners

• Global expertise contributing to the partnership where needed, e.g., to deliver evidence-based strategies

• Ensuring local ownership as from the start, by taking a consistent approach to co-create and co-design solutions and interventions with all relevant stakeholders

• Selectively fund innovative or more ‘risky’ interventions for which local resources are unavailable