The Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a tool that, based on a social model of health and framed within the Health in All Policies (SeTP) strategy, allows anticipating the health effects of a policy or intervention. non-health policy to establish recommendations that allow this policy to have a greater positive effect on health and minimize its negative effects on health. HIAs are based on a participatory approach that sometimes target vulnerable or historically disadvantaged populations, and collect and use both qualitative and quantitative data to make recommendations to public policy makers and decision-makers.

OPIK has carried out different EIS within the framework of various urban planning actions, as well as other types of political measures such as those implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of the EIS in the Spanish and Basque context.

Health Impact Assessment of the Opengela Otxarkoaga (Bilbao) Urban Regeneration Program

Full report:

• Andiarena M, Urtaran-Laresgoiti M, González-Rabago Y, García I, Mayol I, Lopez K, Zuazo A, Martin U. Evaluación de Impacto en Salud del programa de Regeneración Urbana Opengela en Otxarkoaga (Bilbao).

Health Impact Assessment of the measures adopted to control and manage the COVID-19 pandemic in the New Aquitaine, Euskadi and Navarra Euroregion

A retrospective and concurrent HIA of the control and management measures adopted in response to COVID-19 has been carried out with the aim of exploring the effects, direct and indirect, of said measures on health and health equity and formulating recommendations.

Publications made are:

• Urtaran-Laresgoiti M, González-Rábago Y, Martín U, Rivadeneyra-Sicilia A, Morteruel M. Health and health inequalities impact assessment for non-clinical measures to control COVID-19 in the Basque Country and Navarre (Spain). Journal of Public Health Research. 2022;11(3).

• Urtaran-Laresgoiti M, González-Rábago Y, Rivadeneyra-Sicilia A. et al. Evaluación de Impacto en Salud de las medidas adoptadas para el control y la gestión de la pandemia de la COVID-19 en la Eurorregión de Nueva Aquitania, Euskadi y Navarra; 2021. Informe completo y Resumen Ejecutivo.

Assessment of the effectiveness and its determinants of Health Impact Assessments in the Spanish State

• Morteruel M, Bacigalupe A, Aldasoro E, Larrañaga I, Serrano E. Health Impact Assessments in Spain: Have They Been Effective? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(8):2959. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17082959

To consult the complete doctoral thesis, click here.

Other related publications:

• Serrano, E., Larrañaga, I., Morteruel, M. et al. Urban regeneration as population health intervention: a health impact assessment in the Bay of Pasaia (Spain). Int J Equity Health 2016; 15, 145.

• Aldasoro E, Sanz E, Bacigalupe A, Esnaola S, Calderón C, Cambra K, Zuazagoitia J. Avanzando en la evaluación del impacto en la salud: análisis de las políticas públicas sectoriales del Gobierno Vasco como paso previo a la fase de cribado sistemático. Gaceta Sanitaria, 2012; 26(1), 83-90.

• Bacigalupe A, Esnaola S, Calderón C, Zuazagoitia J, Aldasoro E. La evaluación del impacto sobre la salud: una herramienta para incorporar la salud en las intervenciones no sanitarias. Gaceta Sanitaria, 2009; 23(1), 62-66.

• Calderón C, Bacigalupe A, Esnaola S, Zuazagoitia J, Aldasoro E. La Investigación Cualitativa en la Evaluación del Impacto en la Salud: La experiencia de un plan de reforma en un barrio de Bilbao. Rev Fac Nac Salud Pública 2009; 27(1): 45-49.

• Esnaola S, Bacigalupe A, Calderón C, Zuazagoitia J, Aldasoro E. Evaluación del impacto en la salud del Plan de Reforma Integral de Uretamendi-Betolaza y Circunvalación. Vitoria-Gasteiz: Departamento de Sanidad y Consumo; 2008.