Promoting Health Equity through Health Impact Assessments in Wales

Abstract The Wales Health Impact Assessment Support Unit (WHIASU), Public Health Wales was established in 2004 and plays a strategic role in advancing the use of Health Impact Assessment (HIA). WHIASU's work is grounded in the principles of equity, sustainability, participation, and the wider determinants of health. This aligns closely with Welsh Government's emphasis on sustainable development and health in all policies, and the broader shift towards whole-of-government approaches to public health and prevention. WHIASU has had a pivotal role in embedding health equity considerations in public policy and planning via the use of HIA, for example, the HIA on climate change in Wales. Its approach to HIA reflects a commitment to addressing health inequalities and improving health and well-being across population groups. This presentation will focus on how WHIASU incorporates equity into the HIA process using specific tools and checklists, and approaches. It will demonstrate how these principles are operationalised in HIAs, through methods such as participatory stakeholder workshops and how they are designed to assess and mitigate health inequities. The session will also explore how WHIASU's work supports broader policy goals, such as those articulated in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, ensuring that equity and ‘A more equal Wales’ remains central to the development of health-promoting policies and plans across a diverse range of sectors. Finally, by drawing on examples of its work with public bodies across Wales and internationally, the presentation showcases how health, well-being and equity considerations are systematically integrated at every stage of the HIA process and demonstrates how HIA can be used in response to events such as climate change, global pandemics such as COVID-19 and Brexit, therefore ensuring health, well-being and equity remains a core consideration in building a fairer, healthier, and more resilient society.