The Ninth Global Conference on Health Promotion, which includes more than 100 Mayors from around the world, took place in Shanghai last week. Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) attended the meeting. Wang Longde, Chairman of the China Preventive Medicine Association, said governments must pay attention to health targets while setting development goals. Innovation and an open attitude should guide the process, he added. For instance, China’s ongoing healthcare reform is shifting more focus from treatment to prevention. Liu Yuanli, Dean of the School of Public Health at Peking Union Medical College, said that human resources and social security authorities should not only handle medical bills, but also play a role helping people stay healthy. He suggested that health promotion should be considered while evaluating officials’ performances, and that governments at all levels set up health promotion committees to put forward measures and policies enhancing people’s health. The Shanghai Declaration was issued at the end of the meeting, calling for “making bold political choices for health”. The Mayors promised to prioritize policies that combine health and other city policies, and develop partnership-based urban planning, the China Daily reports.