“HIA-IM is now needed more than ever in order to ‘health-proof’ public policies, as we cope with challenges such as the global climate emergency. HIA-IM will help reduce the risk of policies that impact adversely on health and wellbeing with particular reference to Ireland’s marginalised groups”
(Extract from the project summary (end of this page) from the application to the HRB, O’Mullane, 2022)
This project is funded by the Irish Health Research Board for four years (2023-2026), based in University College Cork (UCC) and co-hosted between the School of Public Health and ISS21. My many thanks to the HRB for funding such important population health research, which I am honoured to lead.
This project brings me back to my passion – the promise of HIA in creating a healthier living environment for all.
I’m blessed to work with an absolutely fantastic team of nationally and internationally recognized experts across the many disciplines that the project draws on.
The team includes myself as Principal Investigator, Dr Tara Kenny as Postdoctoral Researcher, and Kirsty Nash as Research Assistant.
My lead mentor is Prof Kat Smith (University of Strathclyde) and co – mentor is Professor Ivan Perry (UCC). Project co-applicants include: Prof Uduak Archibong (University of Bradford), Dr Lisa Pursell (University of Galway Ireland), Dr Sheena McHugh (UCC), Dr Joanna Purdy (Institute of Public Health, Ireland) and Dr Ger Mullally (UCC).
Project collaborators include Bernie Connolly (Cork Environmental Forum), Dr Ben Harris-Roxas (University of New South Wales), Dr Liz Green (Public Health Wales, HIA Support Unit), Ben Cave (BCA Insight Ltd), Dr Hannah Daly (UCC), Karen O’Mahony (Cork City Council), Dr Ina Kelly (Health Service Executive Ireland- HSE), Dr Paul Kavanagh (Health Service Executive Ireland- HSE), Dr Sara Burke (Trinity College Dublin) and Tadhg O’Mahony (Environmental Protection Agency Ireland).
Members of the HIA-IM Public Involvement Consultation Group include Bernie Connolly (Cork Environmental Forum), Denise Cahill (Cork Healthy Cities), Hans Zomer (Global Action Plan), Meaghan Carmody (Coalition 2030), Karin Dubsky (Coast Watch Ireland), Maisie Jones (Global Health Ireland), James Casey (Independent Living Group), and Colette Bennett (Social Justice Ireland).
Here is a short summary of the project. More will be revealed as time goes on!
Public health research has shown that our health and wellbeing are affected by the circumstances into which we are born, grow, live, work and age. These circumstances are generally described as the social determinants of health. We know that incorporating a health focus drawing on the social determinants of health across all publicly designed, funded and implemented policies can help create supportive living environments, so that the healthier choices, become the easier choices for people and communities. Marginalized groups in society are particularly vulnerable to policies that do not consider the social determinants of health. One established tool and approach developed to create health-focused policies is Health Impact Assessment (HIA). It allows for an analysis of potential or unintended impacts of a policy to be highlighted, and in addressing these impacts, it creates an opportunity to change these policies. In this research project, Development of a HIA Implementation Model: Enhancing Intersectoral Approaches in Tackling Health Inequalities (HIA-IM), we wills carry out two HIAs, one on a local authority city development plan (Cork City Council) and one on the Government National Climate Action Plan. Using an action research approach, we seek to learn from the ‘doing’ of these two HIAs. This learning will inform and create, for the first time, an Irish-specific HIA implementation model. This model will assist stakeholders including state bodies, community groups and the health services in carrying out HIAs. Research findings will directly inform the national roll-out of the Institute of Public Health Ireland HIA programme. HIA-IM is now needed more than ever in order to ‘health-proof’ public policies, as we cope with challenges such as the global climate emergency. HIA-IM will help reduce the risk of policies that impact adversely on health and wellbeing with particular reference to Ireland’s marginalised groups.
Please contact me directly with any queries! M.OMullane@ucc.ie
