Health in All Policies: Prospects and potentials

Health is largely determined by factors outside the health care domain. Efforts to integrate health considerations into societal policy-making with the aim to improve population health are being made almost everywhere, both at the Community level as well as at the national, regional and local levels.

This volume, published in the context of the Finnish Presidency of the European Union (EU), aims to highlight how and why the health dimension can and should be taken into account across all government sectors. Particular emphasis is placed on the unique mandate and obligation 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.

Contents include:

+ Principles and challenges of Health in All Policies
+ Moving health higher up the European agenda
+ The promotion of heart health
+ Health in the world of work
+ Public health, food and agriculture policy in the European Union
+ Health in alcohol policies
+ Environment and health
+ Opportunities and challenges for including health components in the policy-making process
+ Towards closer intersectoral cooperation
+ Health impact assessment and Health in All Policies
+ The use of health impact assessment across Europe
+ Implementing and institutionalizing health impact assessment in Europe
+ A case study of the role of health impact assessment in implementing welfare strategy at local level
+ Towards a healthier future