Open Health Forum workshop discusses stakeholder involvement in ’Health in All Policies’

Participants at the workshop gathered to discuss the involvement of non-health stakeholders in health policy decision making, as well as health stakeholders’ involvement in policies which affect health but over which they do not have direct involvement or ownership. The aim of the workshop was to discuss the opportunities and challenges in delivering the ’Health in all Policies’ approach, and how to implement joined-up health policies.

As well as EPHA’s Secretary General Monika Kosinska speakers included Olivier Raynaud, Senior Director; Global Health and Healthcare Sector at the World Economic Forum, Michelle Ceccini Health economist at the OECD; Graham Minton, Director of Corporate Relations from the World Heart Federation; and Zsuzsanna Benko Corporate Affairs Manager at Tesco Hungary. The meeting was chaired by Professor John Ashton, the Chair of the UK Public Health Association Council and Director of Public Health in the Cumbria Primary Care Trust in the UK.

Health is a complex outcome with complex drivers. The ’Health in all Policies’ approach requires ownership and awareness from other governmental policies such as Education and Agriculture, however the implementation of the approach includes the stakeholders who own the drivers - whether schools, farmers or other local actors. The workshop examined the opportunities and challenges arising from the health sector engaging in partnerships and dialogue with other actors. Given the financial pressures currently faced by publicly funded European health systems, together with the absence of health and well-being from current EU 2020 strategy documentation the debate was both up-to-the-minute and challenging.

Participants questioned whether economic operators ever have a role in delivering health interventions, despite the warning issued by Michelle Ceccini of the OECD that antagonism is the key to failure. He gave the example of the failure to establish the proposed tax on soft drinks in the US due to hostility between civil society, legislators and the food and drink industry and an inability for discussions to proceed politically.

The question arose on the limitations of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and indeed when CSR legitimised core business behaviours that a detrimental for health - such as behaviours seen in the baby milk industry. Olivier Raynaud warned that businesses need to understand why it is in their interests to change behaviours or engage in ’responsible’ and health promoting activities.

A clear outcome from the meeting was that this is an important discussion that is only really beginning to start. The workshop was not able to conclude all the important issues that arose, and these will be taken up by EPHA with its members and partners in other settings.