Health of Towns Association

The Health of Towns Association was formed at a meeting in Exeter on 11 December 1844 and was a key organisation in the development of public health in the United Kingdom. Its formation followed the 1843 establishment of the Health of Towns Commission, chaired by Sir Edwin Chadwick, which produced a series of reports on poor and insanitary conditions in British cities, quickly prompting the creation of Health of Towns Association branches in several major cities, including Edinburgh, Liverpool and Manchester. These national and local movements led to the passing of the Public Health Act 1848.