The World Health Organization (WHO) Department of Health Promotion is pleased to announce the designation of the Institute for Social Marketing and Health (ISMH) at the University of Stirling, Scotland, as a new WHO Collaborating Centre for Alcohol Policy and Public Health Research.
With more than four decades of international research expertise on marketing, behaviour change and public policy, ISMH becomes one of the few WHO Collaborating Centres specifically focused on alcohol policy.
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear some of the highest burdens of alcohol-related deaths worldwide. As populations grow – especially among young people – the number of individuals affected is expected to rise. Despite this, many countries still lack comprehensive alcohol policies to safeguard public health. The new Collaborating Centre will work closely with WHO to support alcohol policy research in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in areas concerning alcohol licensing, the regulation of alcohol marketing and addressing unrecorded alcohol. The partnership aims to generate evidence to inform public health policy and protect individuals and communities from the health and social harms associated with alcohol consumption.
"The time is now to tackle the harm caused by alcohol consumption and to empower decision-makers with the evidence and practical tools they need to drive meaningful change that will save lives. This new Collaborating Centre will play a crucial role in addressing this often-hidden public health crisis," said Dr Rüdiger Krech, Director of the WHO Department of Health Promotion. "As harm from alcohol consumption continues to grow in many parts of the world, we are proud to partner with ISMH – an institution with an impressive track record of research that has directly contributed to alcohol policy innovation and public health improvement."
Professor Niamh Fitzgerald, Director of ISMH and Co-Director of the new Centre, commented,
"We are tremendously proud to achieve this designation in recognition of our past and planned collaboration with the World Health Organization. Over more than 40 years, ISMH has developed an international reputation for its important research seeking to improve the health of the world's population, and this designation further acknowledges the Institute's success as a global leader in alcohol research."
Dr Robyn Burton, Co-director of the Centre, added, "As the market for alcohol in high-income countries has become saturated, the alcohol industry has turned its attention to global markets as a new source of growth and profit, prompting increased consumption in low- and middle-income nations. Our work for WHO will help to prevent the wide-ranging negative impacts of alcohol on health and well-being, productivity and communities in these countries by working in collaboration with local research leaders to generate high-quality evidence for policymakers. We look forward to working with WHO and supporting its important work."
WHO's Less Alcohol Unit supports the design of policies and implementation of evidence-based and population-wide interventions that address the cultural, social and commercial determinants of alcohol consumption. WHO works closely with leading experts, civil society and academia to synthesize ground-breaking evidence for policymakers and advocate for actions across sectors. It also shares innovative approaches for front-line practice to sustain population-wide interventions over time.
