Prospective impact assessment is a consolidated approach for pursuing
foresight in policy and decision-making, systematically deployed
worldwide. There is consensus that, even in well developed impact
assessments, human health is not always covered adequately. Partly as a
response, health impact assessment (HIA) has emerged and has been
applied in several countries in Europe and beyond. Opinions about the
merits of HIA separate from other forms of impact assessment differ.
This publication aims to provide a detailed and balanced view on “health
in impact assessments”. Five key types of impact assessment, namely
environmental impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment,
social impact assessment, sustainability assessment, and HIA are
presented, and four key questions are discussed: How can the various
assessments contribute to promoting and protecting human health? How can
further integration of health support the various forms of impact
assessments? What forms of integration seem advisable? What priorities
for further development? This analysis suggests that the potential of
impact assessments to protect and promote health is underutilized, and
represents a missed opportunity. Ways need to be found to exploit the
potential to a fuller extent.