WHO’s structured process for creating health-conducive environments in countries: insights and examples from the African region

This paper presents the structured process developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to systematically scale up actions in environment, climate change, and health at the country level. The process is designed to implement evidence-based and data-driven actions tailored to local contexts and to bring together diverse stakeholders from various sectors such as health, environment, energy, and transport. It contains three steps: (1) analysing the country's current situation regarding environmental exposures and associated health impacts, (2) matching priorities with effective actions integrated with ongoing activities, and (3) assisting with implementation and monitoring. Various resources support these steps, including data scorecards, checklists, and a catalogue of interventions. These also cover effective communication with stakeholders and ways for sustaining change. Country examples are presented to illustrate the practical application of this process. In conclusion, this paper highlights the critical role of upstream approaches to disease prevention and provides practical advice for advancing WHO's goal of leaving no one behind in achieving the highest possible level of health as well as the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.