WHO expert meeting on prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: learning from the arts. Opera House Budapest, Hungary, 15–16 December 2022: meeting report.

This report summarizes the proceedings of an expert meeting held on 15–16 December 2022 in Budapest, Hungary, on the value of arts interventions for health, focusing on initiatives for mainstreaming arts into prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the WHO European Region. Participants included academics in a range of disciplines, civil society groups, Member State representatives and WHO staff. NCD prevention and control, a critical area of public health, is particularly well suited for arts interventions. Arts-based activities are multimodal, with psychological, behavioural and social effects, can be delivered in low-risk, cost-effective initiatives and can significantly improve health and well-being. They can provide insights into complex behavioural barriers and drivers, encourage participation and outreach, support healing and disease management, galvanize behaviour change and encourage a culture of health and well-being. They can be used in the context of many NCDs, including mental health, age-related disorders and chronic illness.The meeting identified various priorities for strengthening the intersection between arts and health, including building a strong community of practice and engaging in advocacy and awareness-raising. Participants discussed ways for supporting these priorities, such as capacity-building, thematic focus areas, funding and design considerations.

Intersectoral action: the arts, health and well-being: sector brief on arts

The Health 2020 policy framework has been adopted by all Member States of the WHO European Region to address Europe’s great social and health challenges, calling upon the health sector to reach out to and work with all the various sectors and parties in the continuing work of improving people’s health and well-being. A recently published WHO Health Evidence Network synthesis report (The role of the arts in improving health and well-being in the WHO European Region) demonstrates how arts interventions can help improve health and well-being, contribute to the prevention of a variety of mental and physical illnesses and support in the treat mentor management of a range of acute and chronic conditions arising across the life-course. As such, arts interventions are often low-risk, highly cost effective, integrated and holistic treatment options for complex health challenges to which there are no current solutions.

What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? A scoping review

Over the past two decades, there has been a major increase in research into the effects of the arts on health and well-being, alongside developments in practice and policy activities in different countries across the WHO European Region and further afield. This report synthesizes the global evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being, with a specific focus on the WHO European Region. Results from over 3000 studies identified a major role for the arts in the prevention of ill health, promotion of health, and management and treatment of illness across the lifespan. The reviewed evidence included study designs such as uncontrolled pilot studies, case studies, small-scale cross-sectional surveys, nationally representative longitudinal cohort studies, community-wide ethnographies and randomized controlled trials from diverse disciplines. The beneficial impact of the arts could be furthered through acknowledging and acting on the growing evidence base; promoting arts engagement at the individual, local and national levels; and supporting cross-sectoral collaboration.