Gabriel Gulis, PhD and Jarmila Korcova, PhD. Department of Hygiene and epidemiology, Trnava University, Univerzitne namestie 1, Trnava, 917 01, Slovak Republic, 00 421 33 5348941, ggulis@health.sdu.dk

Recognizing the determinants of health is a crucial feature of effective public health intervention. Public health professionals have lacked tools to enable good intervention programs. In the case of former socialist countries, interventions based on health education were ineffective, as are indicated by a life expectancy in Slovakia that is significantly lower than in EU countries. Current methodologies and tools for effective intervention on a policy level are nonexistent or lack “user friendliness,” and consequently are not widely used. However, health impact assessment using the established tradition of environmental impact assessment does provide such a tool and methodology. It allows for assessment of impacts that new policies, programs and projects are likely to have if they are implemented. The basic steps of this methodology are screening, scoping, risk appraisal, evaluation and monitoring. We have used the case of a retrospective health impact assessment of a nickel refinery in the Slovak Republic to describe the methodology and present its robustness, strengths and weaknesses. When this type of health impact assessment is directed by an intersectoral steering committee involving all major stakeholders, including the public, it might also become a powerful tool for the implementation of recommendations.

Learning Objectives:

• The presentations intends to discuss health impact assessment as a methodology useful for policy making bot in public health and public policy

Keywords: Public Health Policy,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.