Health in All Policies in Serbian Sectoral Legislation: A Document Analysis

ABSTRACT Health in All Policies (HiAP) seeks to integrate health considerations across sectors to improve population health and equity. This study examines how HiAP has been operationalised through legal instruments in Serbia, assessing the extent to which legislation incorporates health outcomes, intersectoral governance, equity, use of evidence, and mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation. Using an analytical framework inspired by the WHO 2014 HiAP framework, 10 sectors with potential health impacts were prioritised, and 21 key laws were reviewed. Data were extracted directly from legal texts and analysed against five core criteria. Findings indicate that HiAP is conceptually recognised in Serbian legislation but practical integration is fragmented. Health outcomes are most visible in sectors traditionally linked to health, such as education and traffic safety, whereas opportunities to promote health outside these sectors remain underutilised. Intersectoral collaboration is rarely formalised, equity for vulnerable populations—including those experiencing mental health challenges, gender inequities, migration, or language barriers—is limited, and evidence‐informed monitoring and evaluation are inconsistently applied. The study highlights the potential of legislation to support HiAP when combined with formalised intersectoral collaboration, clear health objectives, and mechanisms for evidence‐informed decision‐making. Moving forward, systemic reform is needed, including expanding the scope to ‘Health in/for All Policies and Legislation/Regulation’, embedding mental health and other priority areas into legal frameworks, promoting stakeholder co‐creation, and institutionalising monitoring. Such measures, adapted to diverse political and cultural contexts, can strengthen cross‐sectoral integration, standardise policy implementation, and embed health equity across governance domains.