(ECHP 1999, p. 4) HIA is intended to produce a set of evidence-based recommendations to inform decision-making (Taylor & Quigley 2002, p. 2).
HIA is usually described as following the steps listed, though many practitioners break these into sub-steps or label them differently: The main objective of HIA is to apply existing knowledge and evidence about health impacts, to specific social and community contexts, to develop evidence-based recommendations that inform decision-making in order to protect and improve community health and wellbeing.
Because of financial and time constraints, HIAs do not generally involve new research or the generation of original scientific knowledge.
Prospective HIA is preferred as it allows the maximum practical opportunity to influence decision-making and subsequent health impacts.
HIA used around the world, most notably in Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Thailand (Winkler et al. 2020).
The safeguard policies and standards of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank, were established in 2006.
There is also a long history of health impact assessment in the water resource development sector - large dams and irrigation systems.
Between 2015 and 2018, the Governments of Australia and the UK funded the Regional Malaria and Other Communicable Disease Threats Trust Fund (RMTF) which supported multi-country, cross-border and multisector responses to urgent malaria and other communicable disease issues, focused on the countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).