The Effectiveness of Health Impact Assessment: Scope and Limitations of Supporting Decision-making in Europe

Health impact assessment (HIA) is a support tool for intersectoral decision- and policy-making. It is employed to assess the potential health consequences of pending decisions and it feeds this information back into the decision-making process.

The book provides a detailed map of the use of HIA in Europe across a large range of sectors, including transport, environment, urban planning and agriculture, and at national, regional, and local levels. It also reviews the implementation and institutionalization of HIA with a specific focus on governance, financing, resource generation and delivery.

The effectiveness of HIA is explored and analyzed in 17 case studies using a common analytical approach. The research also identifies factors contributing to the effectiveness of HIA. Overall, the book demonstrates that HIA can be effective. It also reveals the uneven development and incomplete institutionalization of HIA across Europe.

The book is based on a European research project that received funding under the European Union Public Health Work Program. The research was led by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and included research teams from 19 countries.

Kelly Ernst

Matthias Wismar