The World Health Organization (WHO) has awarded Abha a certificate recognizing it as a healthy city Mayor of Abha Hamdan Bin Faris Al-Asaimi received the certificate from WHO Wednesday. The Asir Governorate is a founding member of the WHO Standards of Healthy Cities Program. The Healthy Cities Program, which was first conceived in 1984 at a symposium held in Canada, is a global movement with networks established in all six WHO regions. The healthy cities concept is based on community participation and partnership between municipal authorities, civil society, individuals and all other stakeholders to take action to improve health, the environment and the quality of life in cities.