WHO Collaborating Centre

 

The Human Development and Violence Research Centre (DOVE) became a WHO Collaborating Centre for Evidence-Based Violence Prevention Across the Life Course in April 2025, designated as Collaborating Centre BRA 105. WHO is at the forefront of global action to prevent violence using a public health approach. Collaboration with WHO reflects DOVE’s commitment to increase research impact towards preventing violence through evidence-based policy development, and capacity building.

Professor Joseph Murray, director of DOVE, has previously worked with WHO as a scientific advisor on other projects: “WHO Life Course Network” (2024-current), “Violence against Children Prevalence Estimation” (2024-current), “Guideline on parent training to prevent child maltreatment and promote the positive development of children aged 0-17    years” (2020-24), “Violence Prevention Strategy Planning Group” (2020-21).

In the next four years of collaboration with WHO, DOVE aims to strengthen evidence-informed policy development and advocacy for violence prevention through a series of key activities, including:

• Providing WHO with technical support on violence prevention;
• Producing new evidence on determinants of violence, including insights from the Pelotas Birth Cohort Studies in Brazil;
• Evaluating early parenting programs aimed at reducing child aggression and risk for violence;
• Conducting workshops on violence prevention, integrating researchers, policymakers and practitioners.
• Developing a case study on youth violence prevention at the subnational level in Brazil.

All activities under this agreement are funded by DOVE/UFPel, ensuring independence and adherence to the highest standards of scientific integrity.

More on WHO Collaborating Centres can be found here.