Equity Focused HIA
Equity-focused health impact assessment (EFHIA) uses the health impact assessment process (Harris et al. 2007) to firstly determine the potential differential and distributional impacts of a policy, program or project on the health of the population as well as specific groups within that population; and secondly, to assesses whether the differential impacts are remediable and unfair (Mahoney et al. 2004).
The equity dimension of EFHIA is about assessing whether identified differential health impacts are inequitable - the result of factors that are remediable and unfair, i.e. they are potentially preventable impacts (Harris-Roxas et al. 2004). The minimum criteria for differential impacts that should be considered includes:
- age;
- gender;
- socioeconomic position;
- culture and ethnicity, including indigneous communities;
- locational disadvantage, incorporating considerations of proximity, neighbourhood characteristsics and rurality;
- existing levels of health and disability.
Related Reports
Harris-Roxas B, Simpson S, Harris E. Equity Focused Health Impact Assessment: A literature review, Sydney: CHETRE on behalf of ACHEIA, 2004. Access PDF
Mahoney M, Simpson S, Harris E, Aldrich R, Stewart Williams J. Equity Focused Health Impact Assessment Framework, Newcastle: ACHEIA, 2004. Access PDF
Stewart Williams J, Aldrich R, Mahoney M, Harris E, Simpson S. Equity Focused Health Impact Assessment: Working collaboratively for a strategic framework, Newcastle: ACHEIA, 2004. Access PDF
Related Newsletters
HIA eNews Issue 11: Equity Focused HIA
Examples of Equity Focused HIAs
References
Harris P, Harris-Roxas B, Harris E, Kemp L.
Health Impact Assessment: A practical guide, UNSW Research Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity and NSW Health: Sydney, 2007. ISBN 1 8765 0419 6. Access PDF
Harris-Roxas B, Simpson S, Harris E.
Equity Focused Health Impact Assessment: A literature review, CHETRE on behalf of the Australasian Collaboration for Health Equity Impact Assessment: Sydney, 2004. Access PDF
Mahoney M, Simpson S, Harris E, Aldrich R, Stewart Williams J.
Equity Focused Health Impact Assessment Framework, Australasian Collaboration for Health Equity Impact Assessment: Newcastle, 2004. Access PDF
