One voice for health education: can this be achieved?

The need for one voice for health education and health educators has been discussed for some time. Recently, it has become a more prevalent topic at professional meetings. This article discusses the role of professional associations and the process of professionalization, professional associations for health educators, the Coalition of Health Education Organizations, and current issues with possible alternative solutions. The solutions proposed include merging existing associations, fostering greater understanding of the purposes of various professional organizations, adopting a new approach for selecting memberships, and strengthening the role and function of the Coalition of National Health Education Organizations. A final point discussed is the importance of health educators belonging to at least one professional association to indicate their support of the profession.