Health in All Policies and Sustainable Development Goals

It is recognised that to achieve sustainable development, a healthy population is critical. In September 2015, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) form this transformative agenda – an agenda which commits to leave no one behind. Health is present in all of the SDGs. This highlights the importance of working with other sectors through action on the determinants of health to promote productive and healthy lives for all. The interdependent nature of the SDGs calls for strengthened partnerships between different sectors of society and the involvement of citizens and communities.

Health in All Policies (HiAP) provides a useful strategy and tool for progressing the Sustainable Development Goals. Good governance, strong partnerships and shared leadership are at the centre of HiAP practice. These elements of HiAP practice, among others, can be translated to different contexts to help guide action to achieve the SDGs and ultimately a healthy and sustainable future.

The following resources document and describe HiAP approaches and experiences, capturing and analysing important elements of HiAP practice:

The below video presentations examine the role of Health in All Policies in the era of the Sustainable Development Goals. More HiAP related videos can be found on the capacity building page.

Health in All Policies in the era of the Sustainable Development Goals


Co-benefits for Health in All Policies practice and the Sustainable Development Goals


Health in All Policies: Progressing the Sustainable Development Goals