''Health Impact Assessments Take on Broader Role in Cities and States''
Aaron Wernham, director of the Health Impact Project discusses the benefits of health impact assessments in this edition of Governing.
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The most urgent health problems facing the country—like obesity, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and injuries—are shaped by the conditions in the places where we live and work. To address skyrocketing medical costs and improve health, we need to take health into account when making the decisions that shape the those places.
One promising way to do that is through the use of health impact assessment (HIA), a type of study that that helps policy makers find—and address—the likely health effects of decisions in other fields, such as building a major roadway, planning a city’s growth or developing agricultural policy. HIAs can assist decision makers in identifying unintended risks, reducing unnecessary costs related to preventable illnesses and disabilities, finding practical solutions, and leveraging spending outside the health sector to improve the community’s well-being.
One promising way to do that is through the use of health impact assessment (HIA), a type of study that that helps policy makers find—and address—the likely health effects of decisions in other fields, such as building a major roadway, planning a city’s growth or developing agricultural policy. HIAs can assist decision makers in identifying unintended risks, reducing unnecessary costs related to preventable illnesses and disabilities, finding practical solutions, and leveraging spending outside the health sector to improve the community’s well-being.
Health Impact Assessment News & Resources
New Projects Bringing Health Considerations into Education, Energy Policy, and Other Decisions
The Health Impact Project announced eight new grant recipients that will receive funding to conduct health impact assessments, or HIAs. The projects will bring health considerations into upcoming decisions on topics including education, sanitation infrastructure, and energy. The grantees were selected based on their response to a national call for proposals.
More infoThe Rise of HIAs in the United States
The field of health impact assessments is growing quickly as more and more cities and states are finding HIAs to be a useful way to bring health ino the conversation. View the infographic for more information about the rise of HIAs in the United States. More infoNational Public Health Week
This year's celebration of National Public Health Week (NPHW) focuses on the theme, "Public Health is ROI: Save Lives, Save Money." Join us in recognizing the work of Pew's Health Initiatives. More infoGreenville Conducts Health Impact Assessment
The city of Greenville, South Carolina recently completed a yearlong health impact assessment with support from Pew's Health Impact Project.
More infoFunding Available in Minnesota to Identify Health Opportunities, Risks of Upcoming Decisions
The Health Impact Project announces a request for proposals (RFP) that will fund three grants of up to $100,000 each to identify and address potential health impacts of an upcoming decision in each of their communities or state through the use of health impact assessments (HIA).
More info''Construction That Focuses on Health of Residents''
The New York Times interviews Aaron Wernham, project director for the Health Impact Project, about the growing field of health impact assessments.
More infoGrantee VCU Releases Final HIA Offering Recommendations on Proposed Alternative Energy Facility
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers release the first HIA in Virginia, which finds that a proposed alternative energy facility in the Shenandoah Valley might improve health risks related to water quality but contribute to air pollution.
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Aaron Wernham
