Gold Medal for Finnish Health in All Policies Book

Document Type : Book Review

Authors

1 Minnesota Public Health Association, Minnesota, USA

2 Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

3 Research Center for Health Services Management, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

Abstract

This article is a review of the book “Health in All Policies: Seizing opportunities, implementing policies” edited by Kimmo Leppo, Eeva Ollila, Sebastián Peña, Matthias Wismar, and Sarah Cook. This book (printed and online publication) was published by the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland in 2013 (1). The book is freely available at http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/188809/Health-in-All-Policies-final.pdf. The main features, structure, and highlighted contents of the book are briefly sketched out in this review.
 
The book promotes understanding of a Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach, the history, and the scientific evidence of effectiveness available to apply the HiAP concept in order to overcome challenges faced by policy-makers. HiAP is a relatively novel approach which arises from the traditional idea that health is not only medicine (2). The book offers lessons to policy-makers and managers on how to apply the HiAP approach. It further highlights the health sector’s role in developing healthy public policies. In addition, the book provides examples of structures to foster collaboration, coherence, and participation among stakeholders from different government portfolios and responsibilities. The book further provides invaluable insights for politicians, researchers, and civil society advocates.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

1.  Leppo K, Ollila E, Peña S, Wismar M, Cook S. Health in All Policies (HiAP): Seizing opportunities, implementing policies.  Finland: Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Finland; 2013.
2.  Puska P. Health in all policies. Eur J Public Health2007; 17: 328. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckm048
3.  World Health Organization (WHO). Basic Documents. Constitution of the World Health Organization. Forty Seventh edition. Geneva: WHO; 2009.
4.  Kickbusch  I,  McCann  W,  Sherbon  T.  Adelaide  revisited:  from healthy  public  policy  to  Health  in All  Policies.Health Promot Int 2008;  23:  1–3. doi: 10.1093/heapro/dan006

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 07 February 2014
  • Revise Date: 25 February 2014
  • Accept Date: 22 February 2014
  • First Publish Date: 22 February 2014

Share

How to cite

Statistics