WHO supports countries’ efforts towards achieving the SDGs on promoting health and well-being across life through equitable policies and programmes. Steady and sustainable progress can only be achieved through policy coherence, and active citizen and societal engagement and effective partnership.

The Unit endeavours to promote good governance for health and well-being and create the conditions for people to live healthier lives at national and local levels. Acknowledging the role of non-health sectors in creating the conditions for health and well-being, the Unit promotes a whole-of-government and society approach and leads the work on healthy settings including healthy cities, health promoting schools as well as community engagement and health literacy in line with the Shanghai Declaration on promoting health in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and WHO’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW13).

The Unit produces global policy level and programme guidance to promote health and well-being. It also provides technical assistance and capacity building to support actions at country level. Through strategic communication and advocacy, the Unit informs and supports research for moving forward public health initiatives at country level.