When is health impact assessment (HIA) used?

• A. Systematic process to evaluate potential health effects of policies or projects; used to inform decision-making and mitigate negative impacts.
• B. A process that measures financial return on investment.
• C. A clinical trial framework to test new drugs.
• D. A survey to assess political opinions.

Answer: (A)

Health impact assessment is a structured process to anticipate how a proposed policy, plan, or project could affect the health of a population. It looks at potential positive and negative health outcomes and how they may be distributed across different groups, so decision-makers can understand health implications before decisions are final. The goal is to inform choices and, where possible, modify the proposal to maximize health benefits and minimize harms, while planning for monitoring health effects once implementation begins. This approach brings health considerations into policy and project design across sectors, not just within healthcare.

This is different from measures of financial return on investment, which focus on economics rather than health, and from a clinical trial framework, which tests the safety and efficacy of drugs. It also isn’t a survey of political opinions, which targets attitudes rather than health outcomes.