Behavioural sciences

Human behaviour affects health outcomes. Behavioural and social sciences investigate the cognitive, social, and environmental drivers and barriers that influence health-related behaviours. Behavioural evidence on what influences behaviours at the individual, community, and population levels can improve the design of policies and programmes, communications, and products and services aimed at achieving better health for all. Applying behavioural and social sciences requires a multidisciplinary approach and the adoption of theory, methods, research, practical tools and techniques drawn from psychology, sociology, anthropology, communications, marketing, economics, systems thinking and design thinking, among others. Evidence from the behavioural and social sciences can contribute to and complement other public health efforts that focus on the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes.     

The objective of the Behavioural Sciences for Better Health Initiative at WHO is to promote and enable the systematic use of behavioural and social sciences in public health across the work of WHO and that of its partners.

A clear understanding of people's health-related behaviours is essential for WHO and Member States to achieve the ambitious goal of transforming global health and the health of more than 8 billion people. The World Health Assembly adopted the first ever global Behavioural Sciences for Better Health resolution on 29 May 2023 (WHA76.7).

This milestone Resolution:

• acknowledges behavioural sciences as an important multidisciplinary approach to better understand the influencing factors related to people’s health-related behaviours;
• urges WHO Member States to boost investment, identify opportunities, and support cooperation for behavioural sciences to inform human-centred policies and interventions; and
• requests WHO to mainstream and support behavioural sciences in public health, across WHO and within Member States on request, including to: establish and strengthen behavioural science teams, units and functions; enhance awareness, knowledge and evidence; and provide technical assistance, normative guidance, and capacity-building.

Within WHO, the Initiative provides support for the use of behavioural and social sciences as part of policy development, programme design, research, communication and advocacy, and capacity building and training.

The initiative has five workstreams:

• strategy and normative
• testing approaches and piloting projects
• technical assistance and capacity building
• knowledge sharing
• positioning and partnerships

WHO includes behavioural and social sciences in its work in different ways and across a variety of issues.