This month I'd like to welcome our guest blog author April Siwon Lee. April is a Technical Officer at the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific. She works as a technical officer for healthy ageing and has supported WHO member states with social and health systems transformation, community-based integrated care implementation, and research. Her work includes leading knowledge exchange opportunities for member states and developing WHO knowledge products. She is also the innovation focal point for the Division of Healthy Environments and Populations, WHO. April has a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Toronto and has public health research experience in Canada, China, Malawi, Kenya, and the Philippines. Her work includes leading knowledge exchange opportunities for member states and developing WHO knowledge products. She is also the innovation focal point for the Division of Healthy Environments and and Populations, WHO.April was nominated to write this blog by Kate Mulligan and whilst I haven't worked directly with April I am keen to keep up to date with the work she is involved in at WHO Western Pacific as there is always new ideas to learn from and get connected to. 

Siân Brand, 

Chair of the Social Prescribing Network 

The emerging global reach of social prescribing

The catalyst: how a key connection sparked a global initiative

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in March 2020, the Healthy Ageing unit at the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific developed guidance to protect older people.1 I quickly recognized that public health measures were exacerbating challenges for this group—including social isolation, anxiety, and a growing digital divide—creating an urgent need for an effective intervention.

My answer to this need began to take shape with a key connection on May 27, 2020. A webinar hosted by my alma mater, the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health, led me to its presenters: Dr. Kate Mulligan (Associate Professor, Dalla Lana) and Mr. James Sanderson (former Director, Personalised Care, NHS England).2 Dr. Mulligan then connected me with Dr. Kheng Hock Lee and Ms. Adeline Kwan, forging a vital partnership that led to SingHealth Community Hospitals becoming the first WHO Collaborating Centre for Social Prescribing in 2024.3 Working together through the pandemic, this international team of collaborators from Cambodia, Canada, China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and the UK developed WHO's first Toolkit on Social Prescribing and a corresponding online course on WHO Academy.

Our team's work was initially inspired by growing evidence from the United Kingdom showing the benefits of social prescribing on older people's mental health. To ensure the model was relevant for our region, we are now focused on building local evidence. A promising study recently completed in Cambodia, in partnership with the Royal University of Phnom Penh, indicates that social prescribing is a high-potential, low-cost intervention for improving social connection in low-resource settings.

The global interest in this work has been remarkable. With no marketing budget, promotion has been through word-of-mouth at webinars and through professional networks. Nevertheless, the toolkit was one of our region's most downloaded publications in 2023, and the online course has enrolled over 10,800 participants globally as of 2024, underscoring the significant interest and need for such interventions. 

A global health approach: how social prescribing addresses the drivers of well-being

With an increasing focus on social well-being and the social determinants of health, WHO is making a pivotal shift towards a more holistic model of care. This approach recognizes that our health is determined far more by our life circumstances and social factors than by medical care alone.4 As social prescribing has been included in key WHO documents on social connection and healthy ageing, it has been positioned as a practical approach to address the non-medical needs that shape our physical, mental, and social well-being. 

Addressing the health determinants

The WHO's focus on social prescribing is rooted in clear data on what drives health outcomes. The WHO's report, "Healthy, prosperous lives for all: the European Health Equity Status Report," reveals that differences in the quality and availability of health services account for only 10% of the health inequity between the most and least affluent adults in Europe.4

The remaining 90% is driven by:

• 35% from income insecurity and lack of social protection.
• 29% from poor living conditions and environment.
• 19% from low educational outcomes, lack of control, and low trust.
• 7% from poor employment and working conditions.

These figures powerfully illustrate that medical care alone cannot create healthy populations. Social prescribing provides the essential bridge between the health sector and the community services that can tackle these root causes.5 It is a structured pathway that empowers health professionals to connect people with non-clinical support, helping resolve the underlying issues affecting their health. 

A promising approach in the global fight against social isolation and loneliness

Enhancing integrated care and social care and support for older adults

The journey's just begun

About April

Name: April Siwon Lee

Part of the world I live: Manila (80%) & Seoul (20%)

Occupation: Technical Officer at the World Health Organization

What makes You well? Dog therapy, spending time with friends, new experiences

Why is social prescribing important? Social prescribing is important because the health sector alone cannot address the social determinants of health and social well-being. It connects different sectors, driving the efficient and effective use of our limited resources.

Your favourite nature-based space? Under the sea. Out in the open water.

Your favourite music? Black Pink, Allday Project, Big Bang, Oasis, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Your favourite pastime? travelling and simply walking or strolling around to explore.

If you had one wish for social prescribing what would it be? for more robust, quantitative evidence to show that it is cost-saving and has a significant health impact.

What are your leadership tips for others who want to set up social prescribing projects? convince your supervisor and get their full support.