Bridging health and foreign policy: the role of health impact assessments

• Published in: Bulletin of the World Health Organization Vol. 85; no. 3; pp. 207 - 211
• Main Authors: Lee, Kelley, Ingram, Alan, Lock, Karen, McInnes, Colin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland World Health Organization 01.03.2007; The World Health Organization
• Subjects: Climate change; Cooperation; Decision making; Effectiveness; Foreign policy; Global Health; Health care policy; Health disparities; Health impact assessment; Health inequality; Health Policy; Health Status; Humans; International Cooperation; International law; Policy and Practice; Policy Making; Population; Public health; Public Health Practice; Smoking; Smoking - adverse effects; Smoking Prevention; Tobacco industry; Tobacco Industry - legislation & jurisprudence; World Health Organization; World Health Organization - organization & administration
• ISSN: 0042-9686; 1564-0604
• DOI: 10.2471/BLT.06.037077

Health impact assessment (HIA) is an important tool for exploring the intersection between health and foreign policy, offering a useful analytical approach to increase positive health impacts and minimize negative impacts. Numerous subject areas have brought health and foreign policy together. Yet further opportunities exist for HIA to address a broader range of health impacts that otherwise may not be seen as relevant to foreign policy. HIA may also improve the quality of scientific evidence available to policy-makers. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control offers lessons for the strategic use of HIA. However, HIA alone is limited in influencing these decision-making processes, notably when issues diverge from other core concerns such as economics and security. In such cases, HIA is an important tool to be used alongside the mobilization of key constituencies and public support.