Health impact assessment Social, economic and other policies influence the determinants of health, and through these, the health of a population. Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a combination of procedures, methods and tools by which a policy, program or project may be judged as to it’s potential effects on the health of a population, and the distribution of those effects within the population. The general objectives of HIA are to improve knowledge about the potential health impact of policies or programmes, to inform decision-makers and affected people, and to facilitate adjustment of proposed policies in order to mitigate the negative health effects and maximize the positive effects. As such, HIA can contribute to transparency in policies, as well as to reduction of health inequities.