WHO Collaborating Centre

Designation 2021-2025

The World Health Organization has redesignated the Health Promotion Research Centre (HPRC) at NUI Galway as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion Research for a further four-year period up to 2025 (original designation received in 2009).  Researchers at the HPRC support the work programme of the WHO Headquarters in Geneva and the WHO Regional Office for Europe, providing technical support and research to advance health promotion policy and practice at regional and international levels.

“We are delighted to continue this important collaboration with WHO Geneva and WHO Europe and greatly value working with WHO partners in advancing strategic Health Promotion policies and actions for promoting population health and wellbeing,  says Professor Margaret Barry, Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre at NUI Galway.

Our Aim

The aim of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion Research at NUI Galway is to support the WHO work programme in developing health promotion capacity through the translation of health promotion research into policy and practice.

Our Terms of Reference for 2021 - 2025 are:

1. To support the implementation of the WHO Thirteenth General Programme of
   Work 2019–2023 (GPW), with particular reference to the recommendations
   from the 10th Global Conference on “Health Promotion for Wellbeing, Equity and
   Sustainable Development”.
2. To support the WHO in the development and implementation of the Health
   Across the Life Course Strategy.

During 2023-24, this constituted the following activities:

1.1 Activity: Briefing paper on effective strategies for enhancing subjective wellbeing:
Prof. Margaret Barry
• Conducted a review of the scientific literature on the development and implementation of strategies for promoting subjective well-being at the population level.
• Produced a Briefing paper on effective strategies for enhancing subjective well-being on the key findings and their implications for policy and programme development.

1.2 Activity: Produce a technical background paper on best practices for enhancing
the health literacy and wellbeing of communities, with a particular focus on the most
vulnerable communities: Dr Verna McKenna and Dr Jane Sixsmith
• A scoping review has been completed, the findings from which will feed into the
development of the technical paper.

1.3 Activity: Develop evidence-based guidance to promote healthy environments in
partnership with the Healthy Cities and Communities network: Dr Mary Jo Lavelle
• Protocol under development for a scoping review of the international literature on the evidence-based on promoting healthy environments through built and green
environments within the framework of Healthy Cities.
• The evidence-based guidance report will be developed in year 4. Consultation with
various key experts from the Healthy Cities and Communities network will take
place.

2.1 Activity: Provide technical support to incorporate the European Child and
Adolescent Health strategy into the Health Across the Life Course strategy:

Prof. Colette Kelly
• Contributed to the development of the European Child and Adolescent Health
(CAH) Strategy including youth involvement in developing, revising and advocating
for the strategy.

2.2 Activity Title: Support youth participation in WHO EURO activities:

Prof. Colette Kelly
• Participated as a Steering Group member of the child and adolescent mental health
quality of care programme to guide and support the involvement of youth in the
quality of care programme.

2.3 Activity: Contribution to the international leadership of the Health Behaviour in Schoolaged Children (HBSC) study:

Prof. Colette Kelly, Prof. Saoirse Nic Gabhainn and Dr András Költő
• Continued contribution to the development of the International Network of the Health
Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study.

Additionally, we also contribute to the work of the WHO on an ad-hoc basis by providing advice and support for emerging projects, attendance at WHO meetings, membership of Technical Advisory Groups and reviewing WHO documents during the drafting phase of development. For example, our centre is represented in the pan-European Mental Health
Coalition of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, the Global Expert Group on Adolescent Wellbeing Measurement and the Technical Advisory Group for Schooling during COVID-19.

Delegates at the WHO Euro Collaborating Centre Meeting, Galway, June 2012.