Health in All Policies: A Regional Perspective from the Americas

Over the last century, the Region of the Americas has achieved tremendous progress in increasing life expectancy as well as improving the health and wellbeing of its communities. It is also currently experiencing a period of unprecedented political stability and economic growth. Yet whilst the Region prospers economically, it is also the most inequitable region in the world with regards to income levels. As the United Nations develops a package of Sustainable Development Goals to be adopted in 2015, there is a need to establish a rigorous framework that clearly articulates both how equitable development is essential to sustainable growth and how health and development are inextricably linked. Inequity poses a serious threat to both future economic growth and population health that will require multisectoral responses from the health as well as other sectors. By using a Social Determinants of Health framework as a vehicle to develop policy coherence and shared solutions across multiple sectors, the importance of a Health-in-All-Policies approach becomes evident. The Region of the Americas was the first WHO Region to have a Regional Plan of Action on Health in All Policies, a Plan that was informed by sound evidence, best practices and extensive consultations with stakeholders within and beyond the health sector. The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate the application of the HiAP approach in the Region of the Americas as well as the successes and challenges of implementing this in practice.