‘Health in All Policies’—A Key Driver for Health and Well-Being in a Post-COVID-19 Pandemic World

Abstract

Policy in all sectors affects health, through multiple pathways and determinants. Health in all policies (HiAP) is an approach that seeks to identify and influence the health and equity impacts of policy decisions, to enhance health benefits and avoid harm. This usually involves the use of health impact assessment or health lens analysis. There is growing international experience in these approaches, and some countries have cross-sectoral governance structures that prioritize the assessment of the policies that are most likely to affect health. The fundamental elements of HiAP are inter-sectoral collaboration, policy influence, and holistic consideration of the range of health determinants affected by a policy area or proposal. HiAP requires public health professionals to invest time to build partnerships and engage meaningfully with the sectors affecting the social determinants of health and health equity. With commitment, political will and tools such as the health impact assessment, it provides a powerful approach to integrated policymaking that promotes health, well-being, and equity. The COVID-19 pandemic has raised the profile of public health and highlighted the links between health and other policy areas. This paper describes the rationale for, and principles underpinning, HiAP mechanisms, including HIA, experiences, challenges and opportunities for the future.

Health in All Laws: A better strategy for global health

“…The HiAP aims to “maximize positive and minimize negative impacts on population health.” 12 It provides a powerful approach to integrated policy making that promotes health, well being, and equity 13 . However, HiAP for health equity was only partially enacted in South Australia and little was done to reduce inequities 14 .…”

“…12 It provides a powerful approach to integrated policy making that promotes health, well being, and equity. 13 However, HiAP for health equity was only partially enacted in South Australia and little was done to reduce inequities. 14 But after more than 10 years of practice, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the United States has reduced social disparities in health care and health status, 15 and if combined with laws on Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), 16 there will be more health equity in the future.…”

Welfare Economics and Health in All Policies: Unpaid Debt in Post-COVID-19 Times

“…These challenges require integrated responses across many sectors to mitigate their health and other eco-social impacts, demonstrating once again the imperative need for an integrated ‚whole-of-government' and ‚whole-of-society' approach [3].…”

Health in All Policies: for a healthy and equitable post COVID-19 recovery?

“…This tool has been used during the COVID-19 pandemic in several countries, such as Wales (4), Scotland (5), and Austria (6), to assess the impacts of COVID-19 response measures taken in the context of a health emergency on the health of the population. HIA is therefore a tool that could be useful to decision makers to predict the potential future effects of post-COVID-19 recovery policies on the health and well-being of the population, and to identify actions to minimize the negative effects and maximize the positive effects of these policies before they are implemented (7).…”