Setting up behavioural insights units for improved health outcomes: considerations for national health authorities

Overview

Understanding human behaviour and its cultural contexts can offer powerful insights to support healthy behaviours in people’s daily lives and the way they use health services. Many countries are increasingly investing in understanding the behavioural, cultural and social factors that influence behaviour to achieve more evidence-informed, effective and people-centred policies and services.

A dedicated behavioural insights (‎BI)‎ unit in a ministry of health, public health institute or other institution can drive the implementation and impact of BI. These units are likely to draw on different disciplines and have different names and focus areas (‎for simplicity, all such units are referred to in this document as BI units)‎.