Health Promotion

We work to enhance people’s wellbeing and reduce their health risks associated with tobacco use, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity, thereby contributing to better population health. We develop and implement cross-cutting normative, fiscal and legal measures and capacity development tools. We advance global health in health literacy, community engagement strategies and good governance for health, and foster public health action in the settings of every-day life.

About us

Public health law

The Public Health Law and Policies Team (LAW) assists governments on legal issues relating to commercial determinants of health, with a focus on modifiable risk factors for noncommunicable disease, such as tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet, and inadequate physical activity. The team offers a unique legal perspective, with expertise across law and health, including NCD prevention, trade and investment law, commercial law and litigation, drawing on experiences from jurisdictions around the globe and in development of international norms.

LAW:

Assists governments to develop new laws and regulations, such as by advising on the experience of other jurisdictions and how to minimize litigation risk, by reviewing and commenting on draft legislation and regulations, and assisting in legislative drafting.

Assists governments to defend implementation of WHO guidance in the event of legal challenge, particularly where a government’s right to regulate to protect public health is questioned. Examples include providing background technical briefings on factual or legal issues, providing formal letters for presentation before courts and, in some instances, amicus briefs.

Provides training and capacity building tailored to lawyers and policy focal points relating to specific health interventions or bodies of law.

The team also supports development of new international norms and standards within WHO and through engagement with other intergovernmental organizations.

Initiative

Global regulatory and fiscal capacity building on healthy diets and physical activity (Global RECAP)

News

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31 May 2022

Departmental update

WHO commends Mauritius on lifesaving tobacco regulations

27 July 2020

Statement

WHO statement on heated tobacco products and the US FDA decision regarding IQOS

Events

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19 June 2025

Launch webinar: Laws and regulations addressing acceptability, availability and affordability of alcoholic beverages

7 – 21 June 2024

Webinar series: Regulating digital marketing of tobacco, alcohol, food and non-alcoholic beverages and breast-milk substitutes

Multimedia

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18 June 2025

Alcoholic beverages: Laws & regulations about their acceptability, availability and affordability

1 October 2023

Alcohol consumption webinar: Warnings at the World Trade Organization"

1 October 2021

Noncommunicable diseases: Webinar on managing conflicts of interest

Publications

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Laws and regulations addressing the acceptability, availability and affordability of alcoholic beverages

The WHO Global alcohol action plan 2022-2030 aims to accelerate the implementation of high-impact interventions for alcohol consumption and related harm....

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Legal considerations for health emergency measures in schools and education

During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries took an unprecedented number of health emergency measures at the national and subnational levels to protect health...

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Restricting digital marketing in the context of tobacco, alcohol, food and beverages, and breast-milk substitutes: existing approaches and policy options

WHO has long recommended marketing restrictions in the contexts of tobacco and nicotine products, alcoholic beverages, foods and beverages with respect...

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Tobacco plain packaging: global status 2021 update

Plain (or standardized) packaging is defined as “measures to restrict or prohibit the use of logos, colours, brand images or promotional information...

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