2.H. Workshop: Role of Health impact assessment in the policy-making process for the control of COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic represents one of the most challenging health emergencies faced by humanity in modern history, with global effects on the economy and social well-being of people. This outbreak has abruptly brought public health back to the top of the policy agenda, making even more evident the need for adopting the comprehensive social determinants of health (SDOH) framework in designing effective mitigation and prevention measures. The novelty of the COVID-19 virus and the associated uncertainties about its health consequences and spread led to a massive generation of information from different sources, in some cases conflicting and contradictory. Conducting a systematic analysis and synthesis of existence scientific-evidence, considering all SDOH potentially affected, is crucial for supporting proportionated policy-decisions that reverse the spread of the virus and support health systems across Europe and worldwide. Health Impact Assessment (HIA) aims precisely at supporting the decision-making process by providing information and scientific evidence on the positive and negative effects that any new proposal may have on health and health equity. Its prospective nature also allows the introduction of corrective measures as an ongoing learning process, managing the estimated impacts and optimizing the health results of each proposal. HIA was launched as a methodology/tool by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1999 and adopted by the EU in 2006 for supporting the development of healthier policies, projects and programs, related to both health and non-health sectors. However, its implementation in Europe is uneven across countries. The COVID-19 outbreak provides a good scenario for analysing the extent to which decision-makers are basing their decisions on the best available scientific evidence, and on the benefits of using the HIA approach. The present workshop will analyse and debate several experiences of using HIA as a supporting tool in the formulation of some of the most conflictive measures adopted by European governments related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as ‘Lockdowns', ‘Staying at Home' and social distancing policies and requirements to work from home. Some of the questions that we intend to address in this workshop are: To which extent have decisions for managing the COVID-19 pandemic been based on the best scientific evidence available? What are the advantages of adopting an HIA approach in public health policy decisions? Are science and public health experts providing quick, synthetic and useful information for decision-making in the special circumstances of the current pandemic? Key messages COVID-19 pandemic reinforce the need for policy-makers based their decisions on best available scientific evidence through systematic processes such as HIA. Mitigation measures for the control of COVID-19 should go beyond healthcare assistance, making a more extensive implementation of HIA and a comprehensive approach to health.