The Oxford Health Alliance (OxHA) is an international think-and-action tank dedicated to confronting the epidemic of chronic disease. It serves to prevent and reduce the global impact of chronic disease through innovative action with diverse stakeholders around three risk factors (tobacco use, physical inactivity and poor diet) which contribute to the four major chronic diseases (heart disease, diabetes, lung disease and many cancers) and are responsible for more than 60% of deaths worldwide.

Established in 2004 by Oxford University with a grant from Novo Nordisk A/S Denmark, OxHA operates independently as a registered UK charity. OxHA is governed by a Board of Directors headed by Professor Sir John Bell, and led by its Executive Director Professor Stig Pramming. It differs from traditional health NGOs in that it is issue-specific rather than disease-specific, and plays a facilitating rather than a hands-on role as a catalyst for change.

OxHA takes a macro-economic and macro-political approach to influencing and accelerating emerging efforts to make physical and social environments more conducive to health. Its philosophy and methodology are based on:

Finding the right people by:

• looking outside health to other government administrations and the private sector;
• engaging organisations that influence health but are often excluded from the health debate – especially those whose business activities influence health (eg food, building, transport);
• choosing people who are at the cutting edge of their businesses and can influence colleagues, peers and decision makers; and
• finding and fostering champions of chronic disease prevention.

Fostering a collaborative approach by:

• avoiding ‘good guys versus bad guys’ attitudes and approaches; and
• transforming combatants into collaborators.

Encouraging debate from a diversity of perspectives by:

• respecting and taking account of differing views;
• mixing youth with experience, left with right, establishment with alternative, and developed with developing world; and
• bringing to the ‘table’ those who do not normally sit at the same table.

OxHA primarily bases it activities around six workstreams:

The economic argument for prevention The costs of intervening to prevent chronic diseases is small compared to the cost of NOT intervening.

Prevention in the workplace Almost 40% of our waking hours for almost 40 years are spent at work - an ideal environment for reducing chronic disease risks.

Youth, children and future health Young people are the key to changing perceptions and lifestyles of future generations.

Industry's role in prevention  Prevention efforts by companies and industries can have far-reaching effects

Environmental design for prevention Creating physical environments that make healthy options an integral part of everyday life

Law + health Applying the law to change average behaviour for health

Other major areas of activity supported by the OxHA central body are:

• Community Interventions for Health – demonstration prevention projects in developing countries
• Implementing the Grand Challenges for Chronic Diseases
• 3FOUR50.com - an interactive virtual think-tank for fostering online sharing of ideas, experiences, videos, projects and research into health and healthy lifestyles.

Visit http://www.oxha.org for more information on global activities.