Health in All Policies

Racial inequities are present in every aspect of health, including education, income, life expectancy, and community health and structure. Addressing racial inequities requires a multi-faceted approach that involves government agencies, public health agencies, and community leadership. The Health in All Policies Program assists departments as they integrate health and equity into programs and policies that advance State priorities. The five key elements of this program are:
1. Promote health and equity by incorporating health and equity into policies, programs, and processes, and embedding these considerations into the government decision-making process;
2. Support intersectoral collaboration by bringing together partners from a wide range of sectors in order to promote health and equity and increase government efficiency;
3. Benefit multiple partners while addressing the programmatic goals of public health and other agencies;
4. Engage stakeholders, such as community members, policy experts, advocates, and the private sector;
5. Create structural or procedural change in order to fundamentally change how government work and embedding health and equity into all decision-making processes at all levels.

This program is a collaboration between the Strategic Growth Council, California Department of Public Health, and the Public Health Institute. It is also financially supported by The California Endowment, Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit, and other funders.

The ultimate goal of this approach is to fundamentally change government so that agencies are aligned around a common vision for a healthy and equitable society, and so that health is considered in decision-making across sectors and policy areas.

Since its development in 2012, Health in All Policies approaches have been incorporated into both State and local communities. Health in All Policies has been named a key partner in a number of state-level initiatives. Some notable achievements are:
1. The Health in All Policies Task Force has been embedded within the Office of Health Equity at California Department of Health;
2. Through a partnership with the Department of General Services, reduced sodium food is now served in state correctional facilities;
3. Through partnerships with Department of Education, Food and Agriculture, and Public Health, the California Farm to Fork office was established to improve access to healthy, affordable, and locally-sourced food while supporting CA's agricultural economy.