Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each…

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

Urbanisation, which involves an increasing number of people moving from rural to urban areas, (1) ________ . Over half of the world's population now resides in cities, leading to heightened challenges like poverty, pollution, and health issues.

(2) ________ , they also host poverty, inequality, and environmental risks. Concentrated populations, particularly in urban slums, face inadequate housing and sanitation, escalating health threats such as malnutrition and diseases.

Urban dwellers, especially the poor, struggle with poor nutrition due to limited access to healthy food and environmental pollution. (3) ________ .

(4) ________ , worsening respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Inadequate sanitation amplifies the spread of diseases like tuberculosis and cholera.

Efforts to tackle these issues persist, but further action is necessary. (5) ________ . Furthermore, fostering collaboration between urban and rural regions is essential to ensure holistic development and mitigate the adverse impacts of urbanisation on vulnerable populations.

(Adapted from https://publichealthreviews.biomedcentral.com/articles)