Behaviours, health and resilience take the spotlight in the newly designated WHO Collaborating Centre on Behavioural Science for Health Emergency Preparedness and Resilience.
The Department of Behaviour and Health at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment of the Netherlands (RIVM) will lead this exciting area of work in support of WHO’s efforts to understand and incorporate a focus on behaviours in health.
Behaviours are at the heart of the most challenging health problems, from hypertension to obesity and cancer. During health emergencies, specific behaviours may become imperative, such as hand washing or vaccinating, or health workers isolating infectious patients and disinfecting equipment appropriately. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the complexity of behaviours from the individual level to communities and health systems, all taking place within specific legal, social and policy environments.
WHO/Europe’s collaboration with the Department of Behaviour and Health began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both WHO and RIVM acknowledged the need for a strong behavioural science component to the pandemic response and dedicated resources to this effort.
A WHO Behavioural and Cultural Insights Unit was established in 2020 to support countries in advancing the use of evidence-based, people-centred and culturally grounded approaches to health behaviours.
A newly established Community Resilience and Protection Unit within WHO focuses on building capacity and sharing evidence on people-centred approaches to emergency preparedness and response. The new WHO Collaborating Centre will help the new WHO Unit gather evidence and share experience throughout the WHO European Region, as well as build capacity at national levels.
“This is an exciting step toward acknowledging the behavioural aspect of health and emergency preparedness and resilience as well as linking the expertise and experience we’ve built up in this Region. RIVM’s Department of Behaviour and Health has the technical skills to develop useful tools. The collaboration with WHO means our work can be shared throughout the Region, so we can share data, challenges and solutions in the future,” says Dr Jet Sanders, principal behavioural scientist, RIVM, and head of the WHO Collaborating Centre.
Behaviours and health
Behaviours are essential to health as well as to preparedness and resilience – from following recommended actions, trusting health authorities and supporting others in the community to providing accessible health services to all.
The new Collaborating Centre will support resilience by maintaining an evidence base of research and findings related to behaviours and resilience. The Centre will also collect data on behaviours and help build capacity at the national level in other Member States. Such information can provide a baseline that can be used for comparison during a future emergency.
“Drawing on the behavioural science expertise and experience of such a trusted partner is a wonderful opportunity for WHO. Behavioural insights continue to be under-utilized but are essential for public health today. This collaboration strengthens our efforts to support countries in this important area of work,” says Gundo Weiler, Director of Prevention and Health Promotion at WHO/Europe.
“People’s behaviour is at the heart of managing emergencies, because it’s only when people accept and act on protective measures that we can truly control a crisis. Understanding what drives or holds them back is key to saving lives. That’s exactly where the new WHO Collaborating Centre steps in to make a real difference,” says Ihor Perehinets, Director of Health Security at WHO/Europe.
The new Collaborating Centre addresses multiple priorities as stated by Member States. In 2022, all Member States in the Region approved the first Resolution and action framework for the use of behavioural and cultural insights for equitable health. In 2023, Member States approved a Resolution to develop the Preparedness 2.0 strategy and action plan on health emergency preparedness, response and resilience.