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Health in All Policies a New Dimension of Health Policy

Summary/Abstract: The concept of “Health in All Policies” (HiAP) was presented for the first time, under this name, in 2006 in a book devoted to the issue. Even if traditionally it relied on ideas of “intersectoral cooperation” or “healthy public policy” which had been disseminated and popularized by World Health Organization it was unquestionable contribution by experts and politicians from Finland to make it theoretically relevant and politically attractive. The initiators enriched the concept itself and furnished sufficient amount of energy to acquire partisans in many countries and international institutions. The concept is founded on models accepting many determinants of health and their dynamic nature. Many factors impact health status, it changes over time and they evolve as well. Even when external factors are not taken into account individual’s health goes forward, or rather backward. A great majority of all these factors lie outside control of medicine, medical sciences and ministries of health. The multi causational models of health determinants help to identify these areas of human activities – undertaken also in a form of many public policies – where processes affecting health may appear. Very often the authors of a public policy remains unaware that his/her initiative can influence health and sometimes the results are deplorable. The decision makers can avoid taking improper decisions provided they have sufficient consciousness and access to necessary information. It is also workable of in a government a special job is set up to warn in advance that a project or program under consideration may cause health consequences. It is very practical to use procedures and tools offered by Health Impact Assessment (HIA) approach but it is essential to guarantee all indispensable political acceptance and support to make the process appropriately efficient.

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