title: Health Impact Assessment practice and potential for integration within Environmental Impact and Strategic Environmental Assessments in Italy.
abstract: Avoiding or minimizing potential environmental impact is the driving idea behind protecting a population's health via Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs). However, both are often carried out without any systematic approach. This paper describes the findings of a review of HIA, EIA andSEA experiences carried out by the authors, who act as institutional competent subjects at the national and regional levels in Italy. The analysis of how health is tackled in EIA and SEA procedures could support the definition of a protocol for the integration of HIA with EIA and SEA. Although EIA and SEA approaches include the aim of protecting health,significant technical and methodological gaps are present when assessing health systematically, and their basic principles regarding assessment are unsatisfactory for promoting and addressing healthcare concepts stated by the WHO. HIA is still poorly integrated into the decision-making process, screening and monitoring phases are only occasionally implemented, and operational details are not well-defined. The collaborative approach of institutions involved in environment and health is a core element in a systematic advancement toward supporting effective decisions and effective protection ofthe environment and health. At the Italian national level, the definition of guidelines and tools for HIA, also in relation with EIA and SEA, is of great interest.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via Moruzzi, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Nunzia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Linzalone
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Assennato
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ballarini
authors.forename: Ennio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cadum
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cirillo
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cori
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Maio
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Musmeci
authors.forename: Marinella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Natali
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rieti
authors.forename: Maria Eleonora
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Soggiu
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bianchi
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D004782:Environmental Health / Q000379:methods*; D062489:Health Impact Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods*