WHOF x BBC Storyworks: New Healthier Together Series

In April 2024, the WHO Foundation launched Healthier Together, a landmark branded content series produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions. Encouraging audiences to think differently about who is responsible for their health, the global series brought to screen diverse stories from the widening ecosystem attempting to drive global health equity. Consisting of vivid brand films and written pieces told across 18 countries from five continents, Healthier Together launched at a high-level in-person screening in Geneva during the 77th World Health Assembly and was subsequently seen by millions of people across the globe.

Following the success of Healthier Together, the WHO Foundation and BBC StoryWorks are delighted to announce that development has begun for the next iteration of the series. 2025 is a milestone year in which vital assessments of the progress made towards objectives and commitments set by the global health community will be made. This new campaign will build on the momentum and audience of the first, deepening its exploration of key challenges in the context of these global initiatives, goals, and projections, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Universal Health Coverage (UHC), global health targets for disease control, pandemic preparedness and environmental health.

For this second series, the WHO Foundation is asking organisations to submit stories detailing how they are contributing to a healthier global community. Guiding the selection process is the objective to advance the following themes.

– Preventative Action: we will explore how early preventative action can both increase healthy life expectancy and reduce the burden on our healthcare systems. Suitable topics include the impact of determinants of health, such as access to food, water, housing, finance and education, as well as how people can be empowered to live healthier lives day-to-day.

– Ensuring Access: we will take a closer look at the innovative collaborations designed to increase access to primary healthcare in lower and middle-income countries, while also telling the story of programmes addressing global disparities in healthcare among underserved groups. This chapter will examine where there are gaps in access and who are the stakeholders working together to close these gaps.

– Reconsidering Resilience: focussing on a series of acute challenges to health across the globe, this chapter goes to the frontline of major health emergencies – such as climatic disasters – to tell the stories of those at risk, as well as the practitioners delivering health for all no matter the circumstances. We will also showcase the pre-emptive actions being taken to increase response-ability to emergencies.

– Tackling the Threats: in this chapter, we will showcase attempts to address the disease areas representing the largest threats to global health, such as innovations in diagnosing, treating and curing the highest risk infectious and noncommunicable diseases, as aligned with the World Health Organization Foundation’s priority and focus areas.

To submit your story for consideration, please fill out this short form . For further information, please contact Liam.Wilby@bbc.com.

After review, selected organisations will be invited to discuss engaging BBC StoryWorks’ creative teams to produce a branded piece for the series, which will require a fee as determined by production variables. A dedicated BBC StoryWorks production team will work closely with selected organisations to create powerful content, and partnering organisations will be able to distribute the content on their own channels with support from the BBC StoryWorks and WHO Foundation teams.