Countries supported to create an enabling environment for healthy settings The Secretariat will support countries to:
develop a comprehensive approach across thematic areas of work in order to accelerate the attainment of positive health impacts, including the Global standards for health-promoting schools and their implementation guidance;
implement cost-effective solutions through intersectoral action and networks of cities and communities;
promote community engagement and social participation in decision-making processes that impact health and well-being;
implement the global standards for health-promoting schools (selected countries);
enhance their capacities to translate whole-of-society and whole-of-government approaches in multisectoral policies, laws, and regulations for addressing risk factors, in particular for promoting mental health and risk reduction through the use of self-management tools and new technology;
develop policies for healthier and health-promoting workplaces in all sectors, including the informal economy;
build capacity in multilevel governance approaches to facilitate the implementation of settings-based approaches;
expand the use of health impact assessments in public policy development as part of multisectoral collaboration;
in the context of COVID-19, use existing networks as dialogue forums to essential public health functions and national pandemic response guidance into local communities and other settings of everyday life;
develop implementation plans to promote health and well-being including in vulnerable population groups across developmental and humanitarian settings;
set up and strengthen social and emotional learning programmes in schools, prevention of noncommunicable diseases and promotion of mental health in the workplace as well as suicide and substance use prevention programmes;
establish healthy ageing programmes;
develop user and family association networks of people with lived experience of noncommunicable diseases and mental, neurological and substance use disorders; and
develop emergency preparedness, response and rehabilitation policies and programmes promoting community and population resilience.

In producing technical products on norms/standard, data and research, the Secretariat will:
develop norms and standards for, among others, healthy cities, health-promoting schools and community-led programmes, implementing country frameworks for settings-based approaches and multisectoral and intersectoral action for schools and cities;
conduct health and social impact assessments of policies that have an impact on health development at national, local and community levels (such as transport, land use and waste), as well as healthier and safer workplaces;
develop and update guidance on school environments to reduce the negative impact on health of social determinants;
develop guidance and tools to promote school health standards;
inspired by the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, update tools and guidelines, as appropriate, related to enhancing health promotion activities across the life course, including practices for addressing risk factors, in particular for promoting mental health and risk reduction through the use of self-management tools;
develop practical tools for establishing a national healthy cities network linked to the regional healthy cities networks;
document good practices of healthy settings, age-friendly and community-led programmes;
support the development of regional strategies for promoting healthy cities; and
scale up the implementation of the WHO regional school mental health guidance package. Healthy environments to promote health and sustainable societies