Health in All Policies (HiAP) is “an approach to public policies across sectors that systematically takes into account the health implications of decisions, seeks synergies, and avoids harmful health impacts, in order to improve population health and health equity."
WHO organized an activity in the WHO exhibition booth during the fourth session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management, to illustrate how the HiAP concept can be applied to chemicals management. Every day two chemicals of public health concern were presented on a whiteboard together with an issue around this chemical which needs attention (e.g. poor waste management of lead acid batteries). Participants were invited to identify stakeholders and provide suggestions as to how to facilitate multisectoral collaboration.
The activity triggered various discussions; respondents were debating, amongst others, whether civil society should be included as stakeholder in the management of food crops irrigated with high arsenic water sources, if the ministry of health should play a leading role in coordinating various stakeholders, why a previous participant excluded the ministry of education, or how industry can contribute to the management of chemical specific management issues.