Health in All Policies (HiAP)

Health in All Policies (HiAP) was the main public health theme of the Finnish EU Presidency. Health in All Policies means in practice that all sectors would take advanced account of all possible health impacts in their decision-making and in the preparation of proposals.

The approach emphasises that population health is also affected by factors other than health care. These health determinants play a key role in the implementation of HiAP. Health determinants include for example the environment, education, housing, transportation, and employment. Typically, sectors other than health are responsible for these determinants and no single sector can influence them alone. Health in All Policies requires cross-sectional and multilevel action for health. A concrete tool for implementing HiAP is health impact assessment.

The Finnish Presidency book 'Health in All Policies - Prospects and Potentials' highlights how and why the health dimension can and should be taken into account across government sectors. Particular emphasis is placed on the unique mandate of the EU to protect health in all its policies. The topic is explored from the perspectives of available methods and different levels of policy-making, and examples are included from specific policy areas and health issues.

A high-level conference on Health in All Policies was organised in Kuopio from 20-21 September 2006. The aim of the conference was to present information on how measures in sectors other than the health sector affect population health and how population health can be promoted by measures in other sectors. As a result of the conference and policy dialogues that were held in spring 2006 with member states and candidate countries, the Council Conclusions on HiAP were accepted on 30 September 2006.

The Council Conclusions on HiAP (pdf, 160 kb) sets the direction for future work on Health in All Policies and especially on how to implement the obligation of the Amsterdam Treaty to ensure human health protection in all Community policies and activities. The Conclusions present concrete recommendations to the Member States, Commission and Parliament on implementing HiAP.

Further information

Senior Researcher
Timo Ståhl, THL
Tel. +358 20 610 7128
Email: firstname.lastname@thl.fi

Ministerial Adviser
Eero Lahtinen, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Tel +358 9 1607 4032
Email: firstname.lastname@stm.fi

Publications

The Finnish Presidency book
'Health in All Policies - Prospects and Potentials'

The Council Conclusions on HiAP (pdf, 160 kb)

The HiAP borchure (pdf, 1mb)

Video from the  Council Meeting 30 November 2006

Meetings

A high-level conference on Health in All Policies, 20-21 September 2006, Kuopio