The goal of each HPAP is to establish pollution as a policy priority and to define and advance concrete actions to reduce exposure to pollution and its related health impacts. GAHP works with national and regional governments by bringing together stakeholders in government, civil society, and the private sector to develop and implement the HPAPs.
Each HPAP is tailored to the national context and is intended to be a broad review of multiple pollution challenges, and aims to assist governments to identify, evaluate and prioritize existing pollution issues based on health impacts. The HPAP process is designed to communicate the full impacts of pollution to as broad an audience as possible and uses health, environmental and economic impact data to present a compelling justification for increased resources and action.
Led by relevant national agencies and facilitated and supported by the GAHP Secretariat and other GAHP members, the Health and Pollution Action Plan process aims to establish pollution as a priority within national agencies and agendas, and to define a roadmap for action that is coordinated among, and supported by the international community.
The HPAP process will give governments (at regional and national levels) a clear picture of where control of pollution will produce the greatest health benefits, allowing them to target efforts and resources and provide international donors with defined priority areas for support.
GAHP members and key partners in Ministries of Health and Environment identify and analyze data on health impacts from relevant pollution issues, begin dialogues with key stakeholders, set timelines and an agenda for HPAP program, prepare for consultations on setting priorities.
With facilitation by GAHP Secretariat, senior representatives from relevant national and international agencies review health impacts and set health-based priorities for action on pollution.
Preparation of a draft Action Plan describing priority pollutants, pollution sources, health impacts, cost-effective interventions to reduce exposures, resources needed and potential sources of funding.
A draft Action Plan is circulated to national and international stakeholders, which are invited to provide comments, after which the final Health and Pollution Action Plan is created. Stakeholders reconvene to officially endorse and validate the Action Plan and discuss next steps toward implementing suggested actions.
Dissemination, promotion, fund raising, implementation, monitoring and review of the HPAP through domestic and international initiatives, in collaboration with GAHP members, under the guidance of a joint coordinating team between the Ministries of Health and Environment.
Locally driven processes to target efforts towards the greatest health benefits
Pollution and Health: A Global Public Health Crisis
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