Visioning the future of health promotion: learning from the past, shaping the future

The establishment of the International Union just a few years later was a long-sighted and strategic development, with the realization that a global movement of people and organizations committed to promoting population health was needed to accompany the vision and work of global agencies such as the World Health Organization. Critical insights are exchanged on health promotion’s role as a key transformative strategy for advancing human health, wellbeing, equity, and sustainable development in the face of global challenges. The focus on workforce capacity development is continued in a commentary from Battel-Kirk and colleagues, where they report on the development and implementation of the competency-based IUHPE Accreditation System as a quality assurance system for global health promotion practice, education and training. The paper discusses the role of skills-focused health education and the importance of interactive and critical health literacy in engaging with digital media, supporting empowerment, community development and social activism for health.