Enhancing the effectiveness of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education to move health promotion forward

The success in recent years of many IUHPE initiatives provides cause for celebration, but also reminds us of the challenges that lie ahead. The Global Programme for Health Promotion Effectiveness provides a blueprint for how the IUHPE can effectively participate in, and lead, global networks for health. Health promotion research is well organized and productive in most of the Northern hemisphere, but important wells of health promotion knowledge in the Southern hemisphere are not widely-enough disseminated. The IUHPE needs to help liberate knowledge producers everywhere from unnecessary structures, and find innovative ways to illuminate knowledge for all to see. We have developed and proven the effectiveness of a range of technologies such as settings-based health promotion. However, the vast majority of communities are untouched, and the IUHPE needs to be a leader in finding ways to better disseminate effective health promotion practice. The IUHPE is a vigorous and effective advocate for health promotion training, practice and research. Now we need to expand our advocacy for equity in health, building on our effective work on social clauses in trade agreements and on tobacco control. (Promotion & Education, 2007, Supplement (2): pp 33-35).