Healthy Settings

Selected initiatives

Healthy Settings programs work towards the improvement of many risk factors simultaneously, thus any program must have an inter-disciplinary and holistic approach to public health improvement to achieve sustained success.

The following is a list of ongoing, cross-over activities that are addressed in a similar, interdisciplinary manner as Healthy Settings approaches. They offer good entry points for the initiation of further Healthy Settings activities.

WHO Photocontest 2007

Urbanization

Kobe Centre for Health Development

The Kobe Centre's work on urbanization and social determinants of health overlaps with many of the Healthy Settings initiatives.

Transport, Health, and Environment (THE PEP)

The Transport Health and Environment Pan European Programme (THE PEP) works for more sustainable transport patterns and better integration of environmental and health concerns into transport policies, which are applicable to Healthy Settings programmes.

Human Development

Ageing and Life Course

As the numbers of older people increase throughout the world, Healthy Settings programmes offer opportunities to make age-friendly improvements in multiple sectors.

Child and Adolescent Health and Development (CAH)

CAH and Healthy Settings both approach health improvements in a cross-cutting, horizontal manner, creating many natural synergies for collaboration between the programmes.

Children's Environmental Health

WHO action against degradation of children's health due to environmental risk factors, whose effects are exacerbated by adverse social and economic conditions, demonstrate a entry point for Healthy Settings programmes.

Healthy Environments for Children Alliance (HECA)

A world-wide alliance to reduce environmental risks to children that arise from the settings where they live, learn, play, and work, by providing knowledge, increasing political will, mobilizing resources, and catalysing action.

Food and Nutrition

Food Safety

Maintaining safe, reliable food supplies is a major component of public health management. Crossovers already exist via Healthy Food Markets, though more can be facilitated.

Nutrition

Healthy Settings can contribute most directly to community based initiatives within Country Focused Nutrition Policies and Programmes already in place within WHO.

Interpersonal Relationships

HIV/AIDS

Healthy Settings can support efforts to integrate HIV/AIDS services into the public health system by including the development of these services in guidance materials.

Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA)

Healthy Settings offers a vehicle for the VPA to implement its public health approach, addressing the underlying factors that increase the likelihood of violence and victimization.

Prevention

Health Promotion

Health promotion is applied to a variety of population groups, risk factors, diseases, and in various settings by the WHO in existing programmes, creating natural crossovers with Healthy Settings initiatives.

Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion (CHP)

CHP provides leadership and direction for urgent global, regional and national efforts to promote health and to prevent and control major chronic diseases and their risk factors, in multiple settings.

Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI)

The myriad cost-effective tobacco control measures that can be used in different settings and have a significant impact on tobacco consumption offer a natural intersection with Healthy Settings initiatives.

Move for Health

Initiated as a country-level approach to health promotion, the Move for Health programme is an integrated approach to non communicable disease prevention and health promotion.

Healthy Settings links by Regional Office

Africa

Americas

Eastern Mediterranean

Europe

South East Asia

Western Pacific

Types of Healthy Settings

Outdoor activities for children
The World Bank/Alejandro Lipszyc

Contact us

For further information or to offer additional resources to the Healthy Settings website.