A guide to health impact assessment : a policy tool for New Zealand

This guide introduces health impact assessment (HIA) as a practical way to ensure that health is considered as part of policy development in all sectors. Policy-makers in any sector, at both central and local level, could use this guide. Those who may be affected by policy may also find the guide useful. Health impact assessment is a formal activity that aims to predict the potential effects of policies on health and health inequalities. It is used to help analyse policy alternatives during the policy development process. It is ideally used by policy-makers, with the support of public health specialists as advisors when required. Health impact assessment is based on the recognition that the health status of people and communities is greatly influenced by factors that lie outside the health sector, for instance in areas such as housing, employment or transport. HIA can be applied at the ‘project’ level (eg, when a new road is being built in a particular community), but this guide focuses on the policy level (eg, public transport policy, housing assistance policy, student loans policy). The main purpose of HIA is to enhance the policy-making process. It is a practical aid to help facilitate better policy-making that is based on evidence, focused on outcomes and encourages collaboration between a range of sectors and stakeholders. The use of HIA is part of wider moves towards sustainable development, cross-sectoral collaboration and a ‘whole of government’ approach.