Rethinking Determinants of Health in Today’s Global Context: From Knowledge to Action

The discussion at the World Health Assembly (WHA) is important because it aims to position health promotion as a central pillar of public policies, shifting from a care-centred approach to a comprehensive well-being approach based on action on the determinants of health and the engagement of all sectors of society.

A paradigm shift: from care to well-being

The document highlights a global framework for well-being (adopted in 2024) that seeks to reorient health systems towards health promotion, not only the treatment of disease. This implies recognising that health is primarily shaped by living conditions (social, environmental, and economic determinants).

A global policy priority under construction

The WHA discussion is key as it aims to firmly embed health promotion within policy agendas, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Geneva Charter for Well-being.
Today, health promotion is still often secondary in public decision-making, despite being essential for building resilient and equitable societies.

A call for multisectoral and systemic action

The proposed framework emphasises an approach that “engages the whole of government and the whole of society.”
This directly strengthens approaches such as Health in All Policies and Healthy Cities, calling for transformation across governance, economic systems, and public policies.

An operational challenge: scaling up implementation

Finally, this discussion is strategic as it seeks to translate concepts into concrete implementation, through policy guidance, indicators, and actionable mechanisms for Member States.

👉 See preparatory document EB158/27 https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB158/B158_27-en.pdf

Three approaches developed by the WHO provide practical frameworks for acting on the determinants of health. They share a common goal: integrating health across all public policies and living environments. By mobilising action at different levels — from cities to national governments — they aim to transform the conditions that shape health in everyday life. These approaches offer practical levers to shift from a care-oriented model towards a prevention- and equity-oriented approach.

Creating Healthy Cities

This approach places health at the centre of local policies. It encourages cities to act on living environments (urban planning, transport, housing, social cohesion) by engaging local authorities, stakeholders, and citizens, in order to sustainably improve health and well-being.
👉 https://www.who.int/activities/creating-healthy-cities/creating-healthy-cities

Health in All Policies and intersectoral action capacities

This approach focuses on systematically integrating health considerations into all public policies (such as economy, education, transport, agriculture, etc.). The aim is to improve policy coherence and to act upstream on the determinants of health.
👉 https://www.who.int/activities/Promoting-health-in-all-policies-and-intersectoral-action-capacities

WHO urban health strategies

This global framework addresses the specific challenges of urban settings (inequalities, pollution, access to services). It is aligned with the Geneva Charter for Well-being, which calls for building well-being societies by acting on the structural determinants of health, and with the WHO global framework for integrating well-being into public health (2023–2024), which provides strategic guidance for transforming systems. These urban strategies promote integrated, evidence-informed action and collaborative governance to make cities healthier, more inclusive, and more resilient.
👉 https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116177
👉 https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240084858
👉 https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/the-geneva-charter-for-well-being

15:30 – 17:30

This meeting is not open to the public.

It brings together stakeholders from Shanghai and Geneva who will explore opportunities for collaboration between Hospitals from Shanghai and Geneva University Hospitals.

12:30 – 14:30

This meeting is not open to the public.

It brings together stakeholders from Shanghai and Geneva who will explore opportunities for collaboration.

8:30 – 12:00

This meeting is not open to the public.

It brings together stakeholders from Shanghai and Geneva who will explore opportunities for collaboration.

The first session will explore the possibility of collaborating in the field of medical research.

The second session will explore opportunities for collaboration on tripartite projects involving China, Switzerland, and Africa. The role of digital tools in health programs and women’s health programs will be discussed in particular.