International Health Division

A focal point for international networking, evidence synthesis, sharing learning and expertise across Wales and the world, strengthening our national and public health role in Europe and globally.

The International Health Division focuses on maximising applied learning from international policy, practice and research to support public health innovation; developing globally responsible people and organisations across the NHS; facilitating international collaboration and investment in Wales; and strengthening Wales’ global health impact through sharing our assets and contributing to global health security and sustainable development.

We work closely with key stakeholders across Wales and the UK, such as the Welsh Government, the Welsh Local Government Association, the Wales for Africa Programme, the Faculty of Public Health, and others; as well as with international partners, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI), EuroHealthNet and others.

International Health Team

We promote and facilitate international collaboration and investment in Wales in order to protect, improve and promote health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities within and beyond Welsh borders. We contribute to strengthening Wales’ global health role and impact through sharing our assets and expertise.

International Health Coordination Centre (IHCC)

Established in 2013, the IHCC is a unique whole-of-Wales programme of work, promoting and facilitating international health partnerships to maximise potential gains for the people in Wales and beyond. It contributes to global health security and sustainable development.

Behavioural Science Unit – for health and well-being

The BeSci Unit provides specialist expertise on behavioural science, and champions and enables the increasingly routine application of it, to improve health and wellbeing in Wales. The Unit supports stakeholders in the wider public health system, to deliver a step change in improving health and wellbeing outcomes.


Public Health Policy Division

Supporting the development, implementation and evaluation of policies in Wales in order to improve health and reduce inequalities.

We aim to influence and inform policy at a national and local level, working closely with colleagues across Public Health Wales and other stakeholder organisations to achieve our goals. The Division consists of the Policy Team, Wales Health Impact Assessment Support Unit, and the Health and Sustainability Hub.

Polisi Team

The Polisi Team undertakes projects and programmes of work in a range of topic areas, with the aim of informing and influencing policy making in Wales. Through working in partnership with stakeholder organisations, such as those in the housing sector, the Polisi Team is supporting a health in all policies approach.

Wales Health Impact Assessment Support Unit (WHIASU)

WHIASU supports the development and effective use of the health impact assessment (HIA) approach in Wales through building partnerships and collaborations with different sectors. The unit provides training, guidance, information and advice on all aspects of HIA practice.

Health and Sustainability Hub

The Health and Sustainability Hub supports Public Health Wales to meet its duties under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. It also works with the wider public health community and stakeholder organisations to maximise the opportunities provided by the Act to improve health and well-being and reduce inequalities.


Hosted teams

The WHO CC Directorate hosts a number of collaborative programmes, each working together with external partners to secure a happier and healthier Wales. These include the ACE Support Hub, Early Action Together Programme and the Violence Prevention Unit, who have a shared ambition and vision for Wales to become an ACE aware, trauma informed nation.

These programmes use research and development, knowledge and intelligence to take a public health approach to trauma informed policy and practice and to build more resilient communities in Wales.

ACE Support Hub

The ACE Support Hub was set up by a voluntary collaboration of organisations called Cymru Well Wales, to provide support in making changes that make Wales a leader in tackling and preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Its mission is to share ideas and learning, and to challenge and change ways of working, so together we break the cycle of ACEs.

Violence Prevention Unit

The Wales Violence Prevention Unit was established through funding from the Home Office in 2019. The mission of the VPU is to prevent all forms of violence in Wales through the adoption of a public health approach to violence prevention. This means that we seek to understand the causes of violence based on evidence.

Public Health Collaborating Unit

Established in 2017 and based in Bangor University’s School of Health Sciences, the PHCU provides a flexible and efficient resource for rapid assessment, evaluation and policy and service development support to the WHO Collaborating Centre and, through the Centre, Public Health Wales and the wider NHS.