Including Health in All Policies: A Smart - and Feasible - Choice

Findings from a number of countries show that taking health considerations on board in policy making across all sectors is vital for improving population health and health equity. But ensuring that population health is a shared goal across all areas of public policy – in sectors such as education, agriculture, transport and environment, as well as in economic and social policies - is often challenging and, even when decisions are made, implementation may be only partial or unsustainable. A new volume, Health in All Policies (HiAP): Seizing Opportunities, Implementing Policies, identifies practical opportunities for raising health on political agendas.

The publication launch took place on 23 May 2013 from 12.30-13.45 in Room XV of the Palais des Nations in Geneva, with the participation of the following speakers:

• Opening Remarks: Ms. Päivi Kairamo, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Finland in Geneva
• Background and Purpose of the Book: Dr. Kimmo Leppo, Former Director of Health, Finland, Editor-in-Chief
• HiAP in Practice: Lessons for Policy Makers: Dr. Eeva Ollila, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland
• National Experiences from Thailand: Dr. Churnrurtai Kanchanachitra, Associate Professor, Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Thailand
• HiAP: Implications for the Global Development Agenda: Dr. Sarah Cook, Director UNRISD
• Potential of HiAP for Health Policy Making: Lessons from the WHO Experience and Tobacco Policies: Dr. Douglas Bettcher, Director Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, WHO

Health in All Policies: Seizing Opportunities, Implementing Policies is published by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Finland, in collaboration with the National Institute for Health and Welfare of Finland (THL), the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, and the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD). For more information, visit www.hiap2013.com or contact Sebastián Peña (sebastian.pena.fajuri [at] thl.fi).

The volume is a Finnish contribution to the 8th Global Conference on Health Promotion, co-hosted by the World Health Organization and Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Finland (Helsinki, 10-14 June 2013).