Inclusion of Health in Impact Assessment: A Review of Current Practice in Sub-Saharan Africa

Dominik Dietler, Ruth Lewinski, Sophie Azevedo, Rebecca Engebretsen, Fritz Brugger, Jürg Utzinger and Mirko S. Winkler
Additional contact information
Dominik Dietler: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
Ruth Lewinski: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
Sophie Azevedo: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
Rebecca Engebretsen: Department of Humanities, Social- and Political Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Clausiusstrasse 37, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Fritz Brugger: Department of Humanities, Social- and Political Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Clausiusstrasse 37, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Jürg Utzinger: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
Mirko S. Winkler: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-20

Abstract: Natural resource extraction projects, including those in the mining sector, have various effects on human health and wellbeing, with communities in resource-rich areas in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) being particularly vulnerable. While impact assessments (IA) can predict and mitigate negative effects, it is unclear whether and to what extent health aspects are included in current IA practice in SSA. For collecting IA reports, we contacted 569 mining projects and 35 ministries regulating the mining sector. The reports obtained were complemented by reports identified in prior research. The examination of the final sample of 44 IA reports revealed a heavy focus on environmental health determinants and included health outcomes were often limited to a few aspects, such as HIV, malaria and injuries. The miniscule yield of reports (1.6% of contacted projects) and the low response rate by the contacted mining companies (18%) might indicate a lack of transparency in the IA process of the mining sector in SSA. To address the shortcomings identified, policies regulating IA practice should strengthen the requirements for public disclosure of IA reports and promote a more comprehensive inclusion of health in IA, be it through stand-alone health impact assessment or more rigorous integration of health in other forms of IA.

Keywords: environmental impact assessment; extractive industry; health impact assessment; low- and middle-income countries; mining sector; sub-Saharan Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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