Post on 29-Dec-2015
transcript
Plenary 3Chair: Stephen Palmer
Health Impact Assessment: Making the Difference
Meri Koivusalo
Researcher, National Research and Development Centre for Health (STAKES),
Helsinki, Finland
Health Impact Assessment: Making the Difference
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health
Knowledge for welfare and health
Health impact assessment and Health in all policies – Finnish experiences and policy issues
Meri KoivusaloSTAKES
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health
Knowledge for welfare and health
HiAP and HIA – the Finnish policy context
Health in all policies (HiAP) - a broad approach to integrating health in all policies which incorporates methods such as health impact assessment (HIA)
HiAP is grounded in a tradition of active public health policies, population-based measures and “healthy public policies”
Long history in Finland North Carelia project and focus on diet and cardiovascular diseases Public policies to change work-place and school diets Influencing pricing and consumer choice towards healthier products and tackling the
current “pizza epidemic”
Administrative tradition of supporting intersectoral consultation, but HiAP generally has to operate in a more contested environment
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health
Knowledge for welfare and health
Health impact assessment
Since 1994 part of statutory environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures
EIA defined broadly and also covers human health and social impacts
Human impact assessment integrates health and social impact assessments (www.stakes.fi/sva/huia/)
HIA mostly implemented at project and local level
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health
Knowledge for welfare and health
HIA as part of public health programme HEALTH 2015
Commitments to develop and implement HIA Health impacts of other sectoral policies are assessed every fourth year as part of the public health report Commitment to guidance for action on HIA at the level of policies and decisionsResources for Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health to develop and maintain HIA related activities Commitment to enhancing HIA at local level in municipalities and within business
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health
Knowledge for welfare and health
HIA & HIAP – politics, policies and practice
HIA supported, but has limited institutional strength
National level action constrained Decentralisation of administration and independence of municipalities Increasing importance of European level priorities and commercial
policies
Complexity of HIA decisions on nuclear power and departure from environmental policy aims with respect to dioxin levels in Baltic herring Overall policy priorities do not seem to be geared towards healthy public policies, but are more driven by the quest towards innovation and competitiveness
Health care dominates health policy debates Overall productivity aims aimed to diminish size and functions of public
administration
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health
Knowledge for welfare and health
European Union and HIAFinnish longer term aim to emphasise the role and relevance of HiAP approach as part of European Union public health strategy
European Union policies are used to promote the importance of the HiAP approach and HIA in the context of national policies
New debate and discussion in the context of the proposed Constitutional Treaty and health systems
Impact of EU policies felt in relation to required changes in alcohol policies and taxation
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health
Knowledge for welfare and health
Health in All Policies
A special Finnish presidency theme in health
Opens a political window of opportunity at European level
Increasing concerns over not just the health impacts of other policies but health system impacts, and in particular internal markets, trade and interpreting the four freedoms within European Union
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health
Knowledge for welfare and health
Health in All Policies and the EU
HiAP conference 20-21.9.2006 and a book on HiAP High level Expert Conference Plenaries to take up also HIA issues and work
Six preliminary workshops - Health inequalities- Nutrition, physical activity and major diseases- Health targeted alcohol policy- Transport policy and health & planning- Mental Health
Expected outcomes: Draft conclusion on HiAP for European Commission policies and Member State activities
Conclusions for adoption by the Ministerial Council
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health
Knowledge for welfare and health
HIA and European UnionHow to influence the ways in which impact assessment is implemented in EU?
Is a bad HIA process better than no process? Opportunities for stakeholder lobbying prior to policy debate
The importance of impacts on health systems and regulatory measures of governments to promote and protect health being raised at European Union level
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health
Knowledge for welfare and health
The Paradox and Potential of HIA
Institutionalisation of knowledge and practice of HIA remains a challenge in Finland
The promise of HIA is still greater than the practice
The quality and implementation of HIA varies at local and project level
Future prospects depend on the realisation of existing commitments
Potential for gains from strengthening the European dimension of work, training and action
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health
Knowledge for welfare and health
HIA as an aid to Policy Making Should we more effectively use the legislative and policy-making potential of HIA
To support an emphasis on broader social determinants of health To support health systems impact assessment
HIA could be seen as mechanism for promoting transparency, debate and active policy-making
Moving from an emphasis on win-win to a method for challenging conflicting policy aims between sectors and creating space for health arguments
Limiting free movement of advertisements Regulation and use of pricing mechanisms to guide consumption
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health
Knowledge for welfare and health
HIA in Finland
Human impact assessment website: www.stakes.fi/sva/huia/
HUIA: tapani.kauppinen@stakes.fi
Health Inequalities: marita.sihto@stakes.fi
Health 2015 programme: terveys2015@stm.vn.fi Website: www.terveys2015.fi/english.html
Health in all Policies (HiAP) presidency from 31.05.2005
Official web-site: www.eu2006.fi