Health in All Policies: A Collaborative Approach

Health in All Policies (HiAP) is a collaborative approach to improving the health of all people by incorporating health, equity, and sustainability considerations into decision-making across sectors and policy areas. The approach recognizes that our greatest health challenges—like chronic illness, climate change, health inequities between populations, and increasing health care costs—are highly complex and influenced by policies, programs, and investments across sectors.

Health in All Policies, at its core, is an approach to addressing the social determinants of health that are the key drivers of health outcomes and health inequities. Health in All Policies supports improved health outcomes and health equity through collaboration between public health practitioners and those nontraditional partners who have influence over the social determinants of health.

Resources: How to implement a Health in All Polices approach

There is no one "right" way to do Health in All Policies; Health in All Policies is an approach that can be modified to meet individual jurisdiction's needs. A Health in All Policies approach identifies the ways in which decisions in multiple sectors affect health, and how better health can support the achievement of goals from multiple sectors.  It engages diverse governmental partners and stakeholders to work together to improve health and simultaneously advance other goals, such as promoting job creation and economic stability, transportation access and mobility, a healthy agricultural system, environmental sustainability, and educational attainment.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Public Health Institute developed the Five Key Elements of Health in All Policies as a guide and filter for identify opportunities for operationalizing this work:

1. Promote health, equity, and sustainability
2. Support intersectoral collaboration
3. Benefit multiple partners
4. Engage stakeholders
5. Create structural or procedural change

Health in All Policies Task Force

The California Department of Public Health, in partnership with the Public Health Institute and the Strategic Growth Council, staff the California Health in All Policies Task Force. The Health in All Policies Task Force was established through Executive Order S-04-10 in 2010 and brings together 22 departments, agencies, and offices from across State Government. Member departments, agencies, and offices include:

Task Force members organize their work in Action Plans on various topics including active transportation, violence prevention, parks and community greening, healthy housing, healthy food, and health public policy including equity in government practices. For more information about the Health in All Polices Task Force, please visit the SGC Health in All Policies webpage or click SGC HiAP Resources to view Action Plans.

Role of the California Department of Public Health

The Health in All Policies Task Force staff includes both Public Health Institute and the California Department of Public Health. The Public Health Institute staff sit at the Strategic Growth Council, and the CDPH staff sit within the Office of Health Equity in CDPH. The Health in All Policies staff have a wide range of roles and responsibilities including the following:

• Conveners and Facilitators

• Technical Assistance

• Health and equity subject matter experts

• Draft consensus document

• Stakeholder engagement

• Research