Health impact assessment and health equity in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review

Leuenberger, Andrea; Farnham, Andrea; Azevedo, Sophie; Cossa, Hermínio; Dietler, Dominik; Nimako, Belinda Afriyie; Adongo, Philip Baba; Merten, Sonja; Utzinger, Jürg; Winkler, Mirko S.

doi:10.1016/j.eiar.2019.106288

Cited by 34 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…At present, different types of impact assessment exist, including environmental, social, health or gender impact assessment (EIA, SIA, HIA and GIA, respectively) as well as integrated approaches, such as environmental, social and health impact assessment (ESHIA) [ 46 – 49 ]. HIA as stand-alone approach or integrated in other forms of impact assessment was endorsed by WHO in 1999 as holding particular promise in addressing health and its wider determinants, given its comprehensive understanding of health [ 50 – 53 ]. Additionally, democracy is a core value of HIA emphasising “the right of people to participate in the formulation and decision of proposals that affect their life” [ 54 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health impacts of industrial mining on surrounding communities: Local perspectives from three sub-Saharan African countries

et al. 2021

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Industrial mining projects can play an important role in global sustainable development if associated health risks are minimised and opportunities maximised. While a broad body of evidence from quantitative studies exists that establishes the interlinkages between mining operations and effects on public health, little research has been conducted investigating health impacts from the perspective of affected communities. This is particularly true in sub-Saharan Africa, where about a third of the remaining global mineral resources are endowed and health-related indicators for sustainable development are lagging behind. In this multi-country qualitative study, we explore community perceptions regarding impacts of industrial mining on their health and well-being. In nine study sites in Burkina Faso, Mozambique and Tanzania, we conducted 83 participatory focus group discussions with a total of 791 participants (385 men, 406 women). Our findings reveal a broad range of perceived impacts on environmental, economic and social determinants of health, with secondary health implications related to morbidity, mortality and well-being. Overall, perceived negative impacts prevailed, mainly related to environmental pollution, change in livelihoods or social disruption. Perceived positive impacts on health and well-being were related to interventions implemented by the mines such as new or improved water sources, health care facilities, roads and schools. The consistency of these findings across countries and study sites suggests a structural problem and indicates a pressing need to address health by acting on the wider determinants of health in mining regions. Participatory health impact assessment should be strengthened in host countries to foster strategic interventions, include marginalised population groups, and protect and promote the health of local communities. By including community perspectives on health before and during project implementation, policymakers can take advantage of economic opportunities while avoiding the pitfalls, bringing their communities closer to achieving good health and well-being goals by 2030 and beyond.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health impacts of industrial mining on surrounding communities: Local perspectives from three sub-Saharan African countries

et al. 2021

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“…This is a well-known problem in the HIA community, and previously raised in the literature [31,54]. Similar challenges apply to health in other forms of impact assessments, where the lack of formal requirements to consider health in EIA, in combination with the lack of intersectoral cooperation between the health and the environmental sectors, lead to insufficient coverage of health in EIA in terms of consideration and quality [55][56][57]. From a political and methodological perspective, the lack of effort to build capacity in HIA, coupled with the weak inclusion of health in regulatory frameworks, are limiting factors for the promotion of HIA practice.…”

Section: How To Further Promote Hia Practicementioning

confidence: 87%

Current Global Health Impact Assessment Practice

Winkler

Furu

Viliani³

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Health impact assessment (HIA) practice has expanded across the world, since it was established more than two decades ago. This paper presents a snapshot of current global HIA practice based on the findings of an online questionnaire survey. HIA practitioners from all world regions were invited to participate. A total of 122 HIA practitioners from 29 countries completed the survey, following a broad international outreach effort. The large variety in the types of HIAs conducted, and the application of HIA in various fields reported by respondents, demonstrates that HIA practice has evolved over the past two decades. Although differences in the use of HIA were reported across world regions, an overall increasing trend in global HIA practice can be observed. In order to sustain this upward trend, efforts are needed to address the main barriers in the utilisation of HIA. The establishment of new national and international HIA teaching and training offerings seems to be an obvious strategy to pursue along with the strengthening of policies and legal frameworks that specify the circumstances, under which HIA is required, and to what extent.

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“…This review was conducted considering the various individual and population-based susceptibilities present within SSA. These include the unsatisfactory access to quality health care, socioeconomic inequalities, culture, [34][35][36] health inequity, and population explosion, 37,38 among others. This review thus desired to answer the questions: what are the various exposures, health risks, and associated public health effects of PAHs in SSA?…”

Section: Review Questions/objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure and Public Health Effects of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Compounds in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

Ephraim-Emmanuel

Ordinioha

2021

Int J Toxicol

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Background and Aim: In order to achieve improved global health, environmental health risks that could affect this goal have to be reduced as much as possible. This review thus aimed at determining the exposure levels, health risk assessments, and public health effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This review was developed using guidelines provided for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Search was done on Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed databases. A study was included if it was carried out in SSA from 2000 to 2020 and written in English language. Fifty-two studies were finally retained and used for the review. Extracted data included the concentrations of 8 selected priority PAHs (including the PAHs prioritized for their carcinogenic potentials), their sources and reported outcomes. In SSA, PAHs exposure has been linked to the use of unprocessed biomass fuels for cooking, release of poorly treated petrochemical effluents into water bodies, and so on. Related public health effects included the occurrence of respiratory, cardiovascular abnormalities, and so on. Others included destruction of natural biodiversity in soil, water, and atmospheric environmental media. Health risk assessments also buttressed the occurrence of these public health effects of PAHs. In SSA, the region is exposed to a substantial amount of PAHs pollution which is associated with deleterious environmental and epidemiological effects. The adoption of healthier forms of energy, a change of attitude to one that favors environmental sustainability, and proper enforcement of environmental regulations are, however, necessary for attaining environmental sanity in SSA.

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Health impact assessment and health equity in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review

Cited by 34 publications

References 38 publications

Health impacts of industrial mining on surrounding communities: Local perspectives from three sub-Saharan African countries

Health impacts of industrial mining on surrounding communities: Local perspectives from three sub-Saharan African countries

Current Global Health Impact Assessment Practice

Exposure and Public Health Effects of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Compounds in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

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