Health in All Policies and Public Health
At the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), we are dedicated to building a healthy, safe and strong community—one person at a time. Our goal is to apply a holistic equity lens to planning practices to address existing inequities and prevent the creation of new inequities, while providing services that address the basic and critical needs of our community’s most vulnerable children, adults, and seniors 1. DHHS works to identify communities that may not have equitable access to resources or opportunities to help direct planning efforts to better understand existing conditions and the area’s history. To facilitate more equitable outcomes for communities in Montgomery County. This includes the use of a Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach, which is defined as a collaborative approach that integrates and articulates health considerations into policymaking across sectors to improve the health of all communities and people. 2
Image description: There are many factors that influence health.
Social, Economic, and Political Factors: Racism, sexism, political participation, power, inequality, and poverty.
Living and Working Conditions: Access to food, housing, social networks, segregation, working environment, wages and benefits, air, water, and soil quality, and noise.
Public Services and Infrastructure: Parks, educations, community centers, transportation, economic development, and health care.
Individual Behaviors: Exercise, diet, addiction, coping.
Individual Factors: Age, gender, genetics.
Source: Human Impact Partners
Health in All Policies is a collaborative approach that works toward improving the health of all people by incorporating health considerations into decision-making across sectors and policy areas. With the goal focused on ensuring that all decision-makers are informed about the health, equity, and sustainability consequences of various policy options during the policy development process. 3
Image description: The 10 Essential Public Health Services
To protect and promote the health of all people in all communities.
The 10 Essential Public Health Services provide a framework for public health to protect and promote the health of all people in all communities. To achieve optimal health for all, the Essential Public Health Services actively promote policies, systems, and services that enable good health and seek to remove obstacles and systemic and structural barriers, such as poverty, racism, gender discrimination, and other forms of oppressions, that have results in health inequities. Everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to achieve good health and well-being.
Assessment: Assess and monitor population health. Investigate, diagnose, and address health hazards and root causes.
Policy Development: Communicate effectively to inform and educate. Strengthen, support, and mobilize communities and partnerships. Create, champion, and implement policies, plans, and laws. Utilized legal and regulatory actions.
Assurance: Enable equitable access. Build a diverse and skilled workforce. Improve and innovate through evaluation, research, and quality improvement. Build and maintain a strong organizations infrastructure for public health.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021
1
The Equity Focus Areas Analysis. (n.d.). Montgomery Planning.
2 C
enters for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Health in All Policies.
3
CDC. (2021). Public health system and the 10 essential public health services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.