Building Healthy Public Policy
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Building Healthy Public Policy
“Healthy public policy is characterised by an explicit concern for health and equity in all areas of policy and by accountability for health impact. The main aim of healthy public policy is to create a supportive environment that enables people to live healthy lives”. [1]
Healthy public policy can be promoted at the national, regional, local, and organisational level.
Supportive Environments
Healthy Public Policy recognises that people’s health is strongly linked to the various environments in which they live. The term ‘supportive environments’ refers to both the physical and the social aspects of our surroundings. It encompasses where people live, their local community, their home, where they work and spend recreation time. It also embraces the framework which determines access to resources for living, and opportunities for empowerment.[2]
Public Health South works to build healthy public policy and therefore encourage supportive environments by:
- Supporting the adoption of policies to create social and physical environments that promote health and well-being of communities
- Examining the potential impacts of a particular policy or plan
- Increasing community awareness of ways to promote health and well-being through creating supportive environments
- Strengthening strategic alliances and interagency networks to promote supportive social and physical environments
Health Impact Assessment
Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a systematic way of identifying the potential impacts on the wellbeing and health of the population of any proposed policy, strategy, plan or project, prior to implementation.
Public Health South has recently worked with the Dunedin City Council to complete an HIA on the proposed liquor restrictions in the North Dunedin area. This geographical area includes the University and the surrounding neighbourhood which is heavily populated by student accommodation. The impact of student drinking in North Dunedin is well documented by local and at times national media. This involves documentation of street parties that at times results in outdoor fires, litter and some arrests.
The purpose of the HIA is to examine the impact of the proposed liquor restrictions and whether it would be effective in addressing key issues of concern that have been noted by the community such as litter in the area, crime and disorder, intoxication in public places and perception of safety in the city. This HIA has been funded by the Health Impact Assessment Support Unit at the Ministry of Health. This has been an excellent opportunity to build on training held in Dunedin in July supported by the ‘Learning by Doing’ fund from the HIASU, and contribute to the development of healthy public policy in a systematic and robust way.
Public Health South has taken the lead role in completing the HIA with support from Quigley and Watts and Martin Ward. The draft report is currently being compiled which will include key recommendations for the Planning and Environment committee of the Dunedin City Council considering the liquor restrictions.
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