Health is shaped by decisions made far beyond the healthcare system, including policies affecting the economy, environment, trade and other areas of society. This JA PreventNCD commentary examines some of the challenges involved in implementing Health in All Policies and Health for All Policies, using the Portuguese experience to explore how political, commercial and structural factors can limit effective action on non-communicable diseases.
The authors highlight challenges including weak cross-sector collaboration, fragmented policy efforts, insufficient monitoring and enforcement, and tensions between public health objectives and short-term economic interests. Drawing on examples related to tobacco, alcohol, sugar and gambling, they propose the CEIP Framework, built around four elements: comprehensive health legislation, enhanced enforcement and monitoring, increased cross-sector collaboration and public health investment.
The framework aims to support a shift from reactive to preventive policymaking. It calls for health equity to be integrated across policies, stronger monitoring and health impact assessment, better coordination between sectors and greater investment in primary prevention. The authors argue that addressing the political and structural determinants of health alongside traditional risk factors can help strengthen policy implementation and reduce inequalities in non-communicable diseases.
Read the full commentary in Public Health Reviews:
https://doi.org/10.3389/phrs.2025.1608225