What is Health Impact Assessment, or HIA?

Health Impact Assessment is a consensus building process around the future positive and negative health consequences of changes that affect defined populations of people. It may be integrated with other forms of impact assessment (ESHIA/ESIA), or stand-alone.

BAN91TX4_15 Children look out through barred window of slum dwelling; urban poverty. Islampur slum, Dhaka, Bangladesh. copyright www.tropix.co.uk.

The objective

	to ensure that people are protected from the negative consequences of those changes
	to ensure that people gain fully from the positive consequences of those changes

Definition of health

A broad definition of health is used, encompassing all of the following:

	well-being
	disease
	infirmity

Well-being is best defined by the communities themselves and includes physical, social, mental, and spiritual well-being.

The process

Health impact assessment is a process as much as a method. It is important to:

	write a good Terms of Reference (TOR)
	choose a qualified assessor
	engage with stakeholders
	review the output
	develop management plans.

The method

Method are described on the following page.

BAN91TX9_15 Smart young children in uniform get off school bus, smile shyly to camera. Dhaka, Bangladesh. copyright www.tropix.co.uk.