The HIA Forum provides an opportunity for those with an interest in HIA to meet, share experiences, hear about new developments and consider how to progress HIA.

2009 HIA Forum events focused on how HIA can and is being used to support healthier communties:

HIA: a tool to support healthier communities - 17 September, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford
The focus of this meeting was how HIA can support healthier communities and was co-hosted with the HSE.   Access presentations from the session below:

• HIA Forum agenda - 17 September 2009
• Health Impact Assessment, Teresa Lavin, Institute of Public Health in Ireland
• An overview of how health is being incorporated into the Environmental Impact Assessment process, Carrie Garavan, University of Limerick
• Healthy communities – the input of two graduate-entry medical students to collaborative projects in education and green space, Carrie Garavan, University of Limerick

HIA: a tool to support healthier communities  - 7 May, Merlin Park University Hospital, Galway
This session included an update on how health is being incorporated into the Environmental Impact Assessment process and considered how the Healthy Cities model can provide a framework for HIA.  The session agenda and presentations are available here:

• HIA Forum agenda - 7 May 2009
• HIA a tool to support healthier communities presentation, Teresa Lavin, Institute of Public   Health in Ireland
• Galway Healthy Cities project presentation, Fiona Donovan, Galway Healthy Cities Forum
• WHO Healthy Cities HIA Subnetwork, Claire Higgins, Institute of Public Health in Ireland

HIA: a tool to support healthier communities - 28 April, The Gasyard, Derry
This session focused on HIA and planning for healthier communities.  The session agenda and presentations are available here:

• HIA Forum agenda - 28 April 2009
• Health Impact Assessment presentation, Claire Higgins, Institute of Public Health in Ireland
• Creating healthier communities presentation, Teresa Lavin, Institute of Public Health in Ireland
• Getting HIA considered in planning presentation, Brendan Bonner, Western Investing for Health
• Health and planning presentation, Chris Boomer, Department of the Environment

For further information on future HIA Forum events, please contact either Claire Higgins at claire.higgins@publichealth.ie or Teresa Lavin at teresa.lavin@publichealth.ie