Authors: Ilona Kickbusch and David Gleicher (Global Health Europe, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies)

The study on governance for health in the 21st century, commissioned by WHO - Europe Regional Office, describes the attempts of governments and other actors to steer communities, whole countries or even groups of countries in the pursuit of health as integral to well-being. This study tracks recent governance innovations to address the priority determinants of health and categorizes them into five strategic approaches to smart governance for health. It relates the emergence of joint action by the health sector and non-health sectors, by public and private actors and by citizens, all of whom have an increasing role to play in achieving seminal changes in 21st-century societies.

This study was commissioned to provide the evidence base for the new European health policy, Health 2020. Calling for a HiAP health-in-all-policies, whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, Health 2020 uses governance as a “lense” through which to view all technical areas of health.