Equity-focused health impact assessment: A tool to assist policy makers in addressing health inequalities

Journal Article · Sat Oct 15 04:00:00 EDT 2005 · Environmental Impact Assessment Review

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2005.07.010· OSTI ID:20713499

Simpson, Sarah ^[1]; Mahoney, Mary ^[2]; Harris, Elizabeth ^[2]; Aldrich, Rosemary ^[3]; Stewart-Williams, Jenny ^[4]

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1. Centre for Health Equity Training Research and Evaluation, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of NSW (Australia)
2. Health Impact Assessment Research Unit, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Deakin University, Victoria (Australia)
3. University of Newcastle, NSW (Australia)
4. Newcastle Institute of Public Health, University of Newcastle, NSW (Australia)

In Australasia (Australia and New Zealand) the use of health impact assessment (HIA) as a tool for improved policy development is comparatively new. The public health workforce do not routinely assess the potential health and equity impacts of proposed policies or programs. The Australasian Collaboration for Health Equity Impact Assessment was funded to develop a strategic framework for equity-focused HIA (EFHIA) with the intent of strengthening the ways in which equity is addressed in each step of HIA. The collaboration developed a draft framework for EFHIA that mirrored, but modified the commonly accepted steps of HIA; tested the draft framework in six different health service delivery settings; analysed the feedback about application of the draft EFHIA framework and modified it accordingly. The strategic framework shows promise in providing a systematic process for identifying potential differential health impacts and assessing the extent to which these are avoidable and unfair. This paper presents the EFHIA framework and discusses some of the issues that arose in the case study sites undertaking equity-focused HIA.

• OSTI ID: 20713499
• Journal Information: Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Journal Name: Environmental Impact Assessment Review Journal Issue: 7-8 Vol. 25; ISSN 0195-9255; ISSN EIARDK
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AUSTRALIA
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
NEW ZEALAND
PUBLIC HEALTH