Canadian Network for Health in All Policies Inaugural Meeting

Improving population health and reducing health inequities require concerted policy action from all government sectors and levels. This is the bedrock of Health in All Policies (HiAP), an approach aimed at enhancing population health and health equity by emphasizing the need for all sectors to systematically take into consideration the impacts of their decisions on health, to seek synergies, and avoid adverse effects on health. 

The Canadian Network for Health in All Policies (CNHiAP) was launched in December 2022 in response to calls for action in this area made by participants attending the first pan-Canadian meeting on HiAP in 2019. This endeavour also falls squarely within the mandate of the National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy (NCCHPP) to support Canadian public health actors in their efforts to develop and promote healthy public policies. 

In September 2023, the CNHiAP held its inaugural meeting, bringing together public health actors from across Canada. The objectives of the two-day event were threefold: 

• Bring together the inaugural members of the CNHiAP and set the scene for the Network’s work; 
• Discuss and confirm work priorities for the Network; and 
• Discuss how members can work together. 

The meeting encompassed thematic panel presentations, discussions with panellists, interactive group activities, and opportunities to network. 

The main themes discussed in the meeting revolved around: 

• The Network’s mandate and initial activities; 
• How to integrate First Nations, Inuit and Métis forms of knowing and governing into the Network’s work; 
• Competencies and tools for policy work; 
• The challenges of measuring and evaluating HiAP; and 
• Knowledge mobilization for HiAP: synergies between practice and research. 

To sum up, the CNHiAP inaugural meeting brought together the inaugural members of the Network, allowed for discussion and confirmation of work priorities for the Network, informed discussions on themes relevant to HiAP implementation and helped identify best practices for collaborative work.