title: The need to include Health Impact Assessment at the International Monetary Fund.
abstract: The lending and technical support provided by the International Monetary Fund affect the determinants of health and healthy equity. Most health determinants lie outside the control of the health sector, and thus non-health-sector policies have profound positive and negative effects on population health. Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is an instrument for identifying the effect of policies, plans, programs, and projects on population health and health equity. It is a feasible, cost-effective, and transparent process that has been adopted by several financial institutions, including members of the World Bank Group. Adopting HIA would assist the IMF in ensuring that the potential health consequences of its policies are identified and addressed.
authors.affiliation: Ben Cave Associates, Leeds Innovation Centre, Leeds, United Kingdom. ben.cave@bcahealth.co.uk
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cave
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Birley
mesh_terms: D003906:Developing Countries; D014943:Global Health; D006285:Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006291:Health Policy; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D011057:Politics; D014480:United Nations / Q000458:organization & administration*