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12 <br />AN INTRODUCTION TO <br />HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES <br />A Guide for State and Local Governments <br />Health in All Policies: A Guide for State and Local Governments was created by the Public Health Institute, the <br />California Department of Public Health, and the American Public Health Association in response to growing <br />interest in using collaborative approaches to improve population health by embedding health considerations into <br />decision - making processes across a broad array of sectors. The Guide draws heavily on the experiences of the <br />California Health in All Policies Task Force and incorporates information from the published and gray literature <br />and interviews with people across the country. <br />WHY DO WE NEED HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES? <br />Health in All Policies is based on the recognition that our greatest health challenges —for example, chronic <br />illness, health inequities, climate change, and spiraling health care costs —are highly complex and often linked. <br />Promoting healthy communities requires that we address the social determinants of health, such as transportation, <br />education, access to healthy food, economic opportunities, and more. This requires innovative solutions, a new <br />policy paradigm, and structures that break down the siloed nature of government to advance collaboration. <br />A MESSAGE FROM THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION <br />The environments in which people live, work, learn, and play have a tremendous impact <br />on their health. Responsibility for the social determinants of health falls to many non- <br />traditional health partners, such as housing, transportation, education, air quality, <br />parks, criminal justice, energy, and employment agencies. Public health agencies and <br />organizations will need to work with those who are best positioned to create policies <br />and practices that promote healthy communities and environments and secure the <br />many co- benefits that can be attained through healthy public policy. <br />This guide follows in that tradition: We believe it will be of great value as the <br />implementation of Health in All Policies expands and evolves to transform the practice <br />of public health for the benefit of all. <br />Adewale Troutman, MD, MPH, MA, CPH Georges C. Benjamin, MD <br />President Executive Director <br />