Advancing equity through health in all policies: Opportunities and obstacles in implementation

Efforts to advance public health and reduce population-level disparities through “non-health” policy change are becoming increasingly common, with more local jurisdictions and state and regional governments adopting “health in all policies” approaches or developing “healthy” land use policies. In order to meaningfully change the conditions of low-income people and communities of color, and reduce health disparities, equity priorities must be present throughout the advocacy, adoption, and implementation of these policies. PolicyLink, a national non-profit research and action institute working to advance social and economic equity, has engaged in a range of advisory, coordinating, and technical assistance roles related to “health in all policies” and healthy urban planning in California. In this session, we identify several important levers for advancing equity in collaborative, multifield, interagency efforts to implement “health in all policies.” Opportunities and obstacles for prioritizing equity –particularly in the implementation of such policies – will shared and illustrated using local examples.