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Current Issues Class: Health In All Policies: Impactful Local Decision-Making to Ensure Healthier Communities

Decisions made at the local level can have positive and negative impacts on the health and wellbeing of a community, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 Pandemic. In this class, participants will learn about how the Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach to decision-making can be applied in cities of all sizes. HiAP recognizes that many factors beyond access to healthcare impact health and wellbeing. These factors include educational attainment, housing, transportation options, neighborhood safety, food insecurity and scarcity, and access to parks and recreation, among others. Examples of how the HiAP approach has been used in Georgia cities include: 1) addressing pedestrian safety through the Vision Zero program to decrease traffic deaths; 2) improving police/community relations; 3) changing planning and zoning regulations to improve health outcomes and housing stability; and 4) meeting state and federal accreditation requirements for local police departments. During the class, city officials will learn about the Social Determinants of Health and acquire the skills and knowledge to find and utilize appropriate data sources and build partnerships with public health partners and other stakeholders to achieve common goals.