IUHPE

Please note: we are in the process of migrating to a new site/platform. The information below is up to date, but the online application forms are not fully functional.

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Why become an IUHPE Registered Health Promotion practitioner?

Through registration within the IUHPE Health Promotion Accreditation System, you make a commitment to quality Health Promotion practice based on agreed competency-based criteria.

Once you are registered your name is added to the IUHPE Health Promotion Accreditation System Global Register (click here) and you can use the title 'IUHPE Registered Health Promotion Practitioner'.

Registration within the System can:

• increase the recognition and visibility of your Health Promotion qualifications,

• facilitate your career movement across roles, organisations, regions and countries,

• be a reference point for employers in recruitment and selection.

Stages in the registration of Health Promotion practitioners are: 

• Initial registration,

• Re-registration based on agreed criteria for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) every three years.

Who can apply for registration?

While job titles and academic course titles in different countries  may not always include the term ‘Health Promotion’, within the System the term ‘practitioner’ refers to all those whose main role reflects Health Promotion as defined in the Ottawa Charter and successive WHO charters and declarations to promote health and reduce health inequities by:

• building healthy public policy,

• creating supportive environments,

• strengthening community action,

• developing personal skills,

• reorienting health services.

In the context of the System, the term ‘practitioner’ includes those working in management, education and research directly related to Health Promotion.

Health Promotion practice is defined as work which reflects Health Promotion as defined in the Ottawa Charter and successive charters and declarations to promote health and reduce health inequities.

To be eligible for registration you must have either:

1 - A graduate (Bachelor) or postgraduate (Masters) qualification from a Health Promotion course which is accredited within the IUHPE Accreditation System. Click here. Please note only those who graduate AFTER a course is accredited are eligible via this route.

OR

2 - A graduate (Bachelor) or postgraduate (Masters) qualification from a Health Promotion course which is not accredited within the Accreditation System or from a course in another relevant discipline (click here) AND have a minimum of 2 years' experience in Health Promotion practice (as described above) in the past six years.

OR

3 - A minimum of 3 years' experience in Health Promotion practice (as described above) in the past five years. This option applies to practitioners who are not a graduate of an accredited course or of courses as described above and is available until 2026 only at Global level. The time limit for applying through NAOs will vary - please check with the relevant NAO.

You usually apply for registration through the National Accreditation Organisation (NAO) in your region or country (Australia and Ireland - click here). Where there is no NAO, you can apply to the IUHPE Global Accreditation Organisation, using the IUHPE's online application system.

• If you are a graduate of a course accredited within the System you must give your personal details and submit proof of graduation ONLY.

• If you are a graduate of a Health Promotion course which is not accredited within the System or of another relevant course, you must submit personal details, give information on your 2 years' experience in Health Promotion practice (within the past 5 years) and complete a self-assessment of your competence. You must also supply the names of 2 references.

• If you are applying on the basis of experience only (time limited option - see above), you must submit personal details, give information on your 3 years' experience in Health Promotion practice (within the past 5 years) and complete a self-assessment of your competence. You must also supply the names of 2 references.

To view a sample application form, please click here.

Please read the sample application form and the Core Competencies and Professional Standards for Health Promotion BEFORE you begin your application, as ONLY practitioners meeting the criteria as described are eligible for registration and your administrative fee is not refundable. If you need more information, please contact the System Coordinator.

Some practical tips on how to submit your application

• If you already have an account on IUHPE website (whether you are an IUHPE member or not), please log in with your usual account. Please note that in order to benefit from the discounts for IUHPE members you will need to log in with the same account you have used to register as an IUHPE member.

• If you do not have an account please create one on the IUHPE website (Create Account), as you will need it to submit your application. Please note that applications submitted by any other means (email, fax, etc.) will not be considered.

• If you want to become an IUHPE member to benefit from special rates for members only, please do so first, as discounts are valid only for active members at the time of application 

• Once you have logged in/created your account, you will be able to proceed with the application. Once you have started the application, you can save your work at each step and come back later, using your login information. Please note that incomplete applications that have not been updated for more than 6 months will be deleted from the system.

• You will complete the first part of the application online, to agree with the terms and conditions of the IUHPE Health Promotion Accreditation System and to complete a checklist. 

• In the second part of the application, you will download an application form (.doc format), that you will need to fill in and save in .pdf format.

• You will then upload the completed application form, together with any supporting documents required (.pdf format only), and submit your application.

• Once you submit your application, you will not be able to modify it.

• You will then be asked to pay an administrative fee through our secure payment system.

• Once these steps are completed, you will receive an automatic response confirming that we have received your application and that it will be submitted to the Accreditation Assessment Committee at its next meeting. If you have not had a response within 24 hours, please contact the Coordinator of the IUHPE Health Promotion Accreditation System (accreditation (at) iuhpe (dot) org).

• If your application is assessed as meeting the required criteria, you will receive an email notification and you will be asked to pay the registration fee to complete your registration. Once this last step is completed, you will be able to download your Certificate of Registration and your name will appear in the list of practitioners in the online Register.

• If your application is not successful you will receive an email notification indicating the reasons why. You can re-apply at any time.

Please note that

• Applications are open all year round and are assessed on a rolling basis.

• Formal notification of the outcome of the assessment process may take several weeks, depending on the number of applications being reviewed by the Accreditation Assessment Committee.

• By submitting your application you authorise the IUHPE to publish your name in the list of registered practitioners, should your application be successful.

Process diagram at the global level (Excluding NAOs)

The fee for practitioners is paid in two stages:

• The required non-refundable administrative fee must submitted with your completed application. Your application will be submitted to the Assessment Committee only when the non-refundable administrative fee has been paid.
• If you are assessed as meeting the required criteria, you will be asked to pay a registration fee.

Please note NAOs set their own fees and information on these will be found on their websites. Please refer to the list of approved NAOs on the website (Global register LINK) for contact information. For practitioners in countries where there is no NAO and who apply to the IUHPE Global Accreditation Organisation the following fees apply :

Once your completed application has been submitted and the administrative fee has been paid, your application will assessed by the Assessment Committee (at either National or Global level as appropriate).

All stages of the assessment process are guided by agreed policies and procedures (for example, Confidentiality Policy and Conflict of Interest Policy). Your application is assessed by two assessors who have undergone training on the assessment process.

The outcomes of the assessment will be that you are either :

• Eligible for registation

OR

• Conditionally eligible for registration subject to receipt of additional information or to clarification within a 4-week period of the applicant being notified. This option applies where only minor adjustements to either the application or small amounts of additional information are required. The information / clarification will be clearly indicated to you by the Chair of the Assessment Committee.If the required information is not received within the 4-week period and you want to continue with the application, you will have to submit a new application, including re-payment of an administrative fee.

OR

•  Not eligible for registration. You will be given the reasons for the assessors' decision. Should you wish to re-apply in the future this finding will result in the need for a new application and re-payment of administration fee.

If you are assessed as meeting the criteria you will be asked to pay the registration fee. Once this fee is paid, your name will be added in the IUHPE Health Promotion Accreditation System Global Register (and, where relevant, the National Register), and you can use the professional title 'IUHPE Registered Health Promoition Practitioner'

You are registered for a period of 3 years. You must undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Activities over the 3 years to be eligible for re-registration.

Re-registration

Re-registration of practitioners is obligatory after 3 years and every 3 years thereafter. Eligibility for re-registration is based on providing evidence of continuing  experience in Health Promotion practice and completion of a specified amount of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities.

Re-registration is usually done through a National Accrediting Organization (NAO) but, if none exists in your country, you may apply to the Global Assessment Committee.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your registration is current and to submit an application for re-registration well in advance of the end of the three-year period.

Criteria for re-registration

The basic criteria for re-registration are that you are :

• A practitioner registered within the System,

• An active practitioner with a minimum of 1.5 years of work experience in Health Promotion practice in the preceding three years,

• Able to show that you have participated in a minimum of 75 hours across a diversity of CPD activities in the preceding three-year period.

How to re-register 

To re-register you must complete an application form that includes details on your work experience and of the CPD activities undertaken in the preceding three years. You are advised to keep proof of completion of CPD activities undertaken e.g. awards, certificate of attendance, etc.) over the three-year period as you may be required to submit these as evidence in the re-registration process.

• If you are still in the same job with the same role, you need only confirm this.

• If you have changed roles either with the same or a new employer, you will be required to complete a summary of your current role and indicate how it relates to the IUHPE Core Competencies and Professional Standards for Health Promotion.
  

• If you have a new job with a different employer, you will be required to provide details of current employer and provide a current reference.

A credit points system is used to record CPD. The minimum requirement for re-registration is the completion of 75 credit hours in the preceding three-year period where one credit equals one hour of participation in the activity. The CPD hours must be across a diversity of activities. You will be asked to confirm that you have completed the agreed amount of hours  and you may be asked to give evidence of attendance/participation/completion in relation to all or some of the activities. The form to document this information is available for download during the application process.

If you have any questions regarding how to re-register, we suggest you consult our sample application form with illustrative examples concerning each section and/or read our Frequently Asked Questions.

Please do not hesitate to contact IUHPE via accreditation[at]iuhpe[dot]org for any questions regarding the IUHPE Health Promotion Accreditation System and re-registration.  It will be our pleasure to assist you in this process.

Table 1 below details categories to assist you to clarify your  CPD activities and ensure that a balance of activities is undertaken. CPD does not have to consist of formal courses and conferences, although of course it may include some of these activities.

Table 1 Sample of CPD activities

The IUHPE System is flexible in relation to how these credits should be divided depending on your work situation. However, no single category as above should normally contribute more than 33% of the total hours achieved. Certain major pieces of work, such as the writing of books, external courses and higher degrees, may be apportioned across the categories.

If you want to claim credit for a type of CPD activity that is not listed above you may be asked to provide detailed information on the activity and  to show how it relates to the IUHPE Core Competencies and Professional Standards for Health Promotion to the relevant Assessment Committee. The relevant Board of Directors (NAO or Global) will make the final decision on the relevance and acceptability of the activity and on all aspects of CPD requirements in relation to re-registration.

All credits claimed must be supported by evidence (e.g. awards, certificates of attendance, notes of meetings, lecture notes, reflective learning notes). You may be asked to supply evidence either when applying for re-registration or at any time in the following three year period.

We would like to remind you that discounts on administration and registration fees are only available to current IUHPE members. IUHPE invites you to become an IUHPE member or renew your membership as a first step. In addition to benefiting from a discount, membership comes with other advantages and helps us strengthen health promotion efforts worldwide.

Administrative fees, which must be submitted with your completed application, are not refundable. After their payment, you will receive an automatic response confirming that your application for re-registration has been received and will be submitted to the Assessment Committee. If you do not receive a response within 24 hours, please contact IUHPE via accreditation[at]iuhpe[dot]org to confirm payment has been received and your application is under assessment.

When to apply

Applications for initial registration and re-registration can be made throughout the year.

Applications are assessed at least twice a year, and usually more frequently.

Revocation/Cancellation of Registration

Registration of practitioners can be revoked or cancelled. Decisions on revocation and cancellation of registrations are made jointly by the Accreditation Organisation's Board of Directors at National or Global level as relevant.

Reasons for revoking or cancelling registration include, but are not limited to :

• Breach of the ethical principles and values as defined in the IUHPE Core Competencies and Professional Standards

• Evidence of dishonesty in the application process,

• Failure to pay any required fees within agreed time period,

• Other situations as may be identified by the Global and National Accreditation Organisation's Boards of Directors, which will be detailed on the Accreditation System Website (s).

 Appeals Procedure

An Appeals Procedure is available to practitioners who are assessed as not meeting the required criteria or who have had their registration cancelled or revoked and who wish to appeal the decision. Information on how to access the Appeals Procedure is available from the System Coordinator.

Please note : While the same criteria, assessment procedures and policies are used by the Global and National Accreditation Organisations, there may be some agreed variations in aspects of the process and in fees. Please refer to the relevant NAO details.