ABSTRACT
The aim of this work was to design some tools and a procedure for performing the Health Impact Assessment of municipal policies. A working group made up of municipal and public health specialists from the Valencian Community (Spain) was set up. After reviewing the tools used in other contexts, the Fem Salut? questionnaire for the simplified Health Impact Assessment of regional policies was adapted for use at the local level. A pilot study was carried out in six municipalities and local initiatives promoted by different sectors were analysed. Two workshops were held per municipality (with specialists and with citizens) and participatory techniques were used to identify the possible impacts on the social determinants of health, the population groups more particularly affected and the proposals for improvement. The feasibility of the methodology and the difficulties involved in carrying it out were discussed. A procedure was defined for the Health Impact Assessment of local initiatives in six steps: Describe (the municipality and the project), Extract (screening phase), Co-produce (participatory workshops), Integrate (the scientific evidence with the qualitative information obtained), Disseminate (to politicians, specialists and community) and Evaluate (direct and indirect results) (DECIDE). A guide was developed to facilitate its application at the local level along with two complementary tools (a questionnaire and worksheets). The technical group rated the process as simple and flexible, as well as being easy to adapt to the characteristics of the municipality and project. In addition to the cross-sectoral approach, the incorporation of citizen participation in the process is an important added value.
Subject(s)
Health Impact Assessment , Health Policy , Humans , Health Impact Assessment/methods , Pilot Projects , Public Health , CitiesABSTRACT
La Conselleria de Sanitat i Salut Universal de laGeneralitat Valenciana está impulsando los consells de salut de zona básica con el objetivo depromover la participación vecinal entre las comunidades locales. Ante el limitado debate públicoque el tema está suscitando en el contexto valenciano, en el siguiente artículo se plantean algunascuestiones clave que pueden influir en la capacidad de transformación real de dichos órganos,entendiendo que estos pueden llegar a ser espacios promotores de salud que impulsen iniciativascomunitarias dirigidas a reducir las desigualdades sociales. A partir de las oportunidades y losriesgos percibidos y según la perspectiva de lasautoras, se apuntan algunas claves metodológicas para crear espacios reales de participación, através de los cuales se genere salud desde y con elterritorio y se faciliten la creación de redes público-comunitarias que permitan hacer frente a losretos que el escenario pospandémico supondrá. (AU)
The Department of Health of the Regional Governmentof Valencia (Spain) is promoting Local Health Councils(consells de salut) with the aim of fostering neighborhood participation among local communities. Giventhe limited public debate that this issue is causing inthe context of Valencia, this article presents some keyissues that can influence the actual ability of transformation of these bodies. It is argued that they can become health-promoting spaces that drive communityinitiatives aimed at reducing social inequalities. Basedon the perceived opportunities and risks and accordingto the perspective of the authors, some methodologicalkeys to create real spaces of participation are pointedout. These spaces are crucial to boost the generation ofhealth from and within the local territory, as well asthe creation of public-community networks capable offacing the challenges that the post-pandemic scenariowill entail. (AU)
