A "bottom up" Health in All Policies program: Supporting local government wellbeing approaches

Health Promot J Austr. 2023 Jul;34(3):660-666. doi: 10.1002/hpja.712. Epub 2023 Mar 10.

Abstract

Issue addressed: A wellbeing economy requires multiple inputs to enable the wholistic vision of a sustainable healthy population and planet. A Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach is a useful way to support policy makers and planners to implement the activities required to support a wellbeing economy.

Outline of the project: Aotearoa New Zealand's Government has explicitly set a path towards a wellbeing economy. Here, we report the utility of a HiAP approach in Greater Christchurch, the largest urban area in the South Island of New Zealand, to achieving the shared societal goals of a sustainable healthy population and environment. We use the World Health Organisation draft Four Pillars for HiAP implementation as a framework for discussion. SO WHAT?: The paper adds to the growing number of examples of city and regions supporting a wellbeing agenda, specifically focused on some of the successes and challenges for local HiAP practitioners working within a public health unit in influencing this work.

Keywords: Health in All Policies; city planning; health impact assessments; intersectoral collaboration; policy implementation.

MeSH terms

  • Health Policy
  • Health Promotion
  • Humans
  • Local Government*
  • Policy Making*
  • Public Health