Equity-focused health impact assessment tools and methodologies in Mongolia: Supporting the scaling-up of local experiences

Global Health

Occupational And Environmental Health

The main result of our current project (CIHR-IPPH (CHE) #21884) has been to innovate an equity-focused and broad determinants of health HIA framework designed to address a sector of the Mongolian economy where Canadian interests dominate. These results, and especially the approach we have applied in achieving them, are generalizeable beyond Mongolia and beyond the mining sector. But developing and gaining approval for the use of contextually-appropriate materials, while a necessary first step for introducing HIAs, is in and of itself insufficient to ensure use and application. Further dissemination measures focusing on implementation and outcome steps, developing the means for building local capacity, and considering the structural and institutional elements required for effective, transparent, and accountable use are also necessary. We therefore propose to implement the following measures: A) further dissemination of HIA tools and methodologies to those in relevant ministries, affected communities, NGOs, and mining companies; sectors other than mining, in particular large infrastructure projects such as railway and road development; and international audiences, particularly in low-middle income country settings affected by the scale up of resource extraction activities; and B) the development of relevant supporting structures and resources based on international best practices to support the uptake and use of the HIA tools and methodologies that we have developed. Specific activities proposed include: knowledge synthesis of best practices in HIA implementation in low-middle income country settings; continued development and dissemination work with our multi-sectoral working group; an international workshop in Vancouver bringing together Canadian and Mongolian experts and knowledge users; focused Ministry-level workshops in Mongolia; and monitoring and evaluation of short- and long-term impacts of these activities.