Aligning all policies with public health is a practical challenge faced daily by public health professionals, policymakers, and community actors across Europe. Evidence from WHO and the European Observatory consistently shows that the strongest determinants of health and health equity lie outside the healthcare system, but are rather intersectoral issues from transport, housing, education, employment, or climate policy (Stahl et al., 2006; Greer et al., 2024). Yet translating this insight into routine decision-making remains challenging.
Frameworks such as Health in All Policies and Health for All Policies help clarify the task. While HiAP draws attention to the health consequences of non-health sector policies or decisions at all levels (WHO, 2014), Health for All Policies reframes health as an enabling investment that delivers co-benefits across sectors, supporting productivity, social cohesion, environmental sustainability, and institutional trust (Greer et al., 2024). For practitioners on the ground, however, the key issue is the implementation: how to align incentives, coordinate across mandates, and act within real-world constraints.
Across Europe, alignment often begins locally and incrementally so. It appears when municipalities integrate health equity into climate adaptation plans; when transport and planning departments prioritise walkability and access to services; when social, housing, and public health services collaborate to address energy poverty and ageing; or when local authorities use health impact assessment to inform planning decisions. These initiatives are rarely labelled as intersectoral health policies or strategies, yet they demonstrate how shared objectives and co-benefits can make collaboration both feasible and relevant (WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2023).
This practice-based experience aligns closely with the overarching theme of European Public Health Week: “Investing for sustainable health and well-being.” The evidence increasingly shows that investments in prevention, equity, and supportive environments are not costs, but high-return investments that strengthen resilience, economic participation, and societal well-being (WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2023a). Making these investments visible – through everyday policy choices and community action – is essential.