Stirling research centre designated by World Health Organization

A world-leading centre for research on marketing and health at the University of Stirling has been designated as a Collaborating Centre on Alcohol Policy and Public Health Research by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Institute for Social Marketing and Health (ISMH) – whose researchers have studied marketing, behaviour change and public policy to improve health and wellbeing for more than 40 years – joins only three other institutions in Scotland to achieve the prestigious designation of a Collaborating Centre and will be the only centre in the UK to focus on alcohol policy.

Collaborating Centre status is only awarded by WHO to institutions with a long and solid history of successful contribution to WHO programme activities.

The partnership will see researchers working with WHO to support alcohol policy research in low-and-middle income countries, particularly in policy areas seeking to address misleading marketing and advertising and protect health and wellbeing by adequate regulation of alcohol sales.

Crucial role

Dr Rüdiger Krech, Director of the WHO Department of Health Promotion, said: “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.

“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.”

International reputation

Professor Niamh Fitzgerald, Director of ISMH, and Co-Director of the new centre, said: “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 recognition further acknowledges the Institute’s success as a global leader in alcohol research.”

Important work

Dr Robyn Burton, Co-Director of the new centre, said: “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 lower and middle-income nations.

“Our work for WHO will help to prevent the wide-ranging negative impacts of alcohol on health and wellbeing, 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 it’s important work.”

ISMH is the UK’s leading research centre on marketing and public health, investigating the impact of the marketing of tobacco, alcohol, unhealthy foods and other products such as gambling on health – and the effectiveness of policies designed to reduce the diverse harms they cause.

The Institute has worked with WHO for several years, with its researchers having contributed to expert advisory groups, developed training materials and contributed to reports informing the United Nations agency’s work to address gaps in regulation of cross-border marketing of alcohol products.

Tangible impact

Professor Paul A. Townsend, Deputy Principal (Research and Innovation) at the University of Stirling, said: “ISMH has a strong and celebrated history of shaping policy and practice in the UK and internationally around some of the greatest health challenges of our time.

“This collaboration with WHO is reflective of the University’s firm commitment to global health research and will support ISMH researchers to continue to make a tangible impact on the lives and health of people around the world.”

The World Health Organization currently designates approximately 800 Collaborating Centres around the world in a variety of disciplines. Not including the new Centre at ISMH, almost 50 are in the UK and three are in Scotland.   

WHO Collaborating Centres in Scotland 

• WHO Collaborating Centre for Alcohol Policy and Public Health Research, University of Stirling
• WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing and Public Health Education and Research, Glasgow Caledonian University
• WHO Collaborating Centre on Population Health Research and Training, University of Edinburgh
• WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion and Public Health Development, Public Health Scotland