World Health Organization

This paper starts by outlining the background to the investment for health (IFH) as an approach to the implementation of a health promotion strategy/project. Secondly, the still unexplored relevance of the social and economic determinants of health is briefly outlined. Thirdly, the issue of evidence related to the social and economic determinants of health and their relevance to the IFH approach is described. The report goes on to examine the “missing evidence ” in the current efforts to measure the impact of health promotion. The authors outlines the importance to focus on the impact of health promotion on the main assets for population health and development. The latter include a wide range of community, social, environmental and economic elements such as social capital and the degree of equity present in a country, region or local community