Health impact assessment for health promotion, education and learning

Health impact assessment (HIA) is increasingly recognised as a core aspect of health promotion practice. It enables possible health futures to be considered in more meaningful and evidence-informed ways, based on a structured assessment process, and for changes to be made to enhance potential health benefits. Importantly, it also seeks to identify potential differential impacts, and to make changes to enhance the health equity of proposed projects, plans, programs and policies.
This special issue on HIA has been produced under the auspices of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education’s Global Working Group on HIA. The Working Group brings together international experts to support the development and use of HIA to advance health promotion.
The present issue includes a diverse range of experiences and practices, theoretical explorations and discussions that reflect the maturing state of HIA internationally. Importantly, it incorporates a substantial number of papers describing HIA’s use in French-speaking contexts, which reflects the diversification of HIA practice and its welcome adaptation to new countries and settings. The articles in this issue collectively show how HIA can be used to inform, shape and influence projects, policy and practices.