Our Overdose Prevention Program is bringing a comprehensive approach to reduce overdose deaths in seven states: Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Strategic Communication: A High-Impact, Underused Investment to Drive Progress in Policy and Public Health
Vital Strategies’ effective and innovative campaigns address the topics that shape global health—from food environments to harmful drug use and the role of corporate interests. Our goal: a society where good health is possible for all.
The “Support Harm Reduction Campaign” included mobile billboards driven around the Washington D.C. area.
Learn Our Approach to the Most Pressing Global Public Health Issues of Our Time
Our campaigns are based in evidence generated by our Behavioral Insights Lab, which leverages cutting-edge social and behavioral analysis to deliver timely analysis and actionable reports. Evidence from the Behavioral Insights Lab shapes how we design and deliver campaigns, ensuring that advocacy and communication drive support for life-saving policies and improve population behavior.
Focus Areas
Tobacco Control
Unless urgent action is taken to reverse this global epidemic, tobacco will kill as many as 1 billion people this century, making it the greatest single source of preventable death and disease.
Our Impact
Our work has led to comprehensive national tobacco legislation in Mexico, Russia, Senegal, Turkey and Ukraine, protecting over 400 million people.
Focus Areas
Food Policy
We’re experiencing a global nutrition transition where people increasingly consume unhealthy ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks. Healthier diets could prevent 11 million deaths each year and promote economic development.
Our Impact
Our partnerships have led to lifesaving changes such as front-of-package warning labels in Brazil, taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages in Barbados, Mexico and South Africa, and on junk food and sugary drinks in Colombia.
Focus Areas
Road Safety
More than 90% of the world’s deaths on the roads occur in low- and middle-income countries—even though they have less than half of the world’s vehicles.
Our Impact
From 2007 to 2018, Road Safety interventions have saved an estimated 312,000 lives on the roads in 15 countries and up to 30 cities.
Focus Areas
Overdose Prevention
The overdose crisis claims 100,000 lives each year in the United States, with rates climbing fastest in communities of color. We’re growing momentum for a health- and community-based response.
Our Impact
Focus Areas
Alcohol Policy
Globally, alcohol consumption contributes to 2.6 million deaths each year, burdens health systems and costs economies billions.
Our Impact
We bring together national governments, civil society, researchers, and leaders in public health and alcohol policy to implement three alcohol best-buy policies from the World Health Organization’s SAFER technical package for alcohol policy: increasing taxation, regulating availability and restricting marketing.
Our Services Help Partners Achieve Their Goals
We are committed public health thinkers, working in 80+ countries, with expertise that extends across a dozen issues. We rely on purpose-built tools and approaches that are driven by research from our Behavioral Insights Lab, center healthy equity through community engagements and government partnerships, and accelerate positive health outcomes.
We partner with governments, civil society and funders to deliver results. Our tools work across health areas and budget sizes. See how we can support you.
Campaigns and Content
Design and run strategic campaigns, develop digital strategy and content and more.
Behavioral Insights and Intelligence
Conduct message testing, research and expose industry tactics, develop media strategy, and more.
Capacity & Partnerships
Lead media advocacy, develop workshops and toolkits for capacity-building, and more.
Our Flagship Programs
Vital Media Lab: Campaigns That Move People
Information alone doesn’t create action. Using our ASPIRE framework, we design emotionally resonant, culturally grounded campaigns that spark change across a dozen public health issue areas. With more than 750 campaigns developed to date, we help partners build capacity and drive outcomes that matter.
Our Flagship Programs
Behavioral Insights Lab: Science-Driven Strategy
With 100+ peer-reviewed papers and research in over 30 countries, we demonstrate how communication drives measurable impact—from overdose prevention to road safety. We work with partners to decode health patterns and assess return on investment for health solutions.
Our Flagship Programs
Canary!: Using AI to Detect Health Threats in Digital Marketing
Canary! combines artificial intelligence and expert analysis to scan social media for hidden threats – such as the marketing of tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed food. It has already enabled policymakers in countries like Indonesia to respond with stronger protections, helping shield millions of children from harmful corporate tactics.
Our Flagship Programs
STOP: Exposing Corporate Influence on Public Health
Through the global STOP network, we reveal tobacco industry interference through strategic communication, research and partnerships. This intelligence assists governments and institutions in implementing stronger, industry-resistant policies.
Community Voices
“It’s possible to achieve policy wins which protect the health of our people if civil society, researchers and other stakeholders rally together with tenacity and commitment.
Nzama Mbalati
Program Manager of Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA)
“We worked to de-normalize the taboo over talking about tobacco diseases.
Enrico Aditjondro
Vital Strategies’ Deputy Director For Southeast Asia
“If I had had some of this while I was using, I could have saved myself some injuries.
Jesse
Harm Reduction Specialist, Former User
We help partners promote policy change and improve population behaviors
Leveraging the latest tools and evidence, we integrate policy advocacy, mass media, digital channels, news coverage and community mobilization to power lasting, lifesaving change. And we can help you do the same.
Partner with us
We collaborate with governments, change makers, and leading researchers to move policy and people toward a healthier, more equitable society.