HEiAP is a policy mechanism that can help organisations achieve their objectives in a way that also addresses inequalities. Belfast Healthy Cities has developed a HEiAP framework for delivery of HEIAP. Chief Executives from public sector organisations in Belfast signed a Chief Executive Mandate demonstrating their commitment to working with Belfast Healthy Cities on piloting the HEiAP framework.

Aim: Strengthen understanding of the way in which every aspect of local and regional government can improve health and health equity and ensure that all policies and actions promote health equity from the start

Objectives

• develop and apply a health and health equity in all policies framework to provide leadership and support for implementation of addressing health equity  
• engage with partners and champion the inclusion of local objectives and actions to bring about policy and action that will ‘close the gap’ in inequalities.
• provide data and evidence that strengthen the integration of objectives to address inequalities in non health policies
• transfer learning and knowledge exchange from participation in WHO Global & European networks to implement the HEiAP framework

Health Equity In All Policies Pilots

Belfast Healthy Cities is currently working with three organisations to pilot the HEiAP framework:

• Belfast City Council /Public Health Agency - Growing Communities Strategy
• NIHE - Supporting People Strategy/Housing Related Support Strategy
• Health and Social Care Trust/ Health and Social Care Board - Children and Young People Strategy

Ongoing work

To support work on the above pilots, 2 leaflets have been developed:

Equity from the Start: Health Equity in all Policies – Health Lens Approach’ focuses on the HEiAP process. It explains it is, why we need it and what’s required to achieve HEiAP	‘What do we mean? a useful definitions document and considers a range of definitions such as the social determinants of health, intersectoral action, healthy urban planning and health inequalities.