Integrating Health Impact Assessment (Hia) with the Policy Process. Lessons and Experiences from around the World

About this book

• Provides unique descriptions and analyses of country specific HIAs
• Written by worldwide based experts in HIA
• The only book available that provides examination of research into the relationship between HIA and public policy

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a policy-support instrument and approach that seeks to assess the health impacts of projects, programmes and policies on population health. The ultimate goal of HIA is to systematically predict health impacts and subsequently inform the intersectoral decision- and policy-making processes of these impacts.

Integrating Health Impact Assessment (HIA) with the Policy Process examines how the process of integrating HIA with policy can take place. Introductory chapters outline the HIA process and provide a conceptual foundation for the book. Then, drawing from experiences of HIA practice and research globally, country specific case studies are presented to examine HIA's relationship with the policy process. Throughout the book checklists and learning points are provided to assist the readers' understanding of the concepts and examples discussed.

This practical and conceptually-grounded guide represents a convergence of theory and practice from the disciplines of public health, environmental health and the social sciences, and will appeal to practitioners and professionals in these fields, policy-makers, decision-makers, planners at regional and national government levels as well as academics, educators and students.

Readership: Students, academics, professionals, experts, consultants and specialists in public health, environmental health, town planning, community advocacy and/or policy advisors.

Table of contents

1: Monica O'Mullane: Introduction
2: Monica O'Mullane: Health Impact Assessment: The Conceptual Roots
3: Monica O'Mullane: The Policy Process and Health Impact Assessment
4: Claire Higgins, Owen Metcalfe, and Noelle Cotter: The Impact of HIA on the Policy-Making Process in Ireland: Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
5: Gabriel Gulis and Jána Kollárová: HIA implementation and public health policy systems in Slovakia and Denmark
6: Rainer Fehr: "Ruhr" metropolitan area in Germany - Rapid HIA of novel spatial planning
7: Salim Vohra, Gifty Amo-Danso, and Judith Ball: HIA and its Role in Shaping Government Policy Making: The use of HIA at national policy level in England
8: Catherline L. Ross and Arthi Rao: HIA in the United States of America: Practice, Policy and Legal Underpinnings
9: Elizabeth Harris, Ben Harris-Roxas, Patrick Harris, and Lynn Kemp: "Learning by Doing": Building Workforce Capacity to undertake HIA. An Australian Case Study
10: Louise Signal, Matthew Soeberg and Robert Quigley: HIA in Local Government: The New Zealand Case
11: Decharut Sukkumnoed: A Decade of HIA Development in Thailand: From Cases to Constitution
12: Marleen Bekker, Mieke Steenbakkers, Maria Jansen and Ilse Storm: From instrument towards programmatic approach for Health in All Policies (HiAP) decision-support? Health Impact Assessment in the Netherlands
13: Ben Cave, Urmila Jha-Thakur, Mala Rao, Pawan Labhasetwar, and Thomas Fischer: Health in Impact Assessment and Emerging Challenges in India
14: Francesca Viliani and Edith Clarke: Realities and Opportunities for Health Impact Assessment in Africa
15: Piedad Martin-Olmedo: Implementing and Institutionalising HIA in Spain: Challenges and Opportunities
16: Margaret Douglas, Susie Palmer and Martin Higgins: Integrating Health into Impact Assessments in Scotland
17: Karen Roof: HIA in Colorado: A Tool Used to inform Policy Actors?
18: Monica O'Mullane: Lessons Learned from HIA Experience around the World: Where to Next?