Integrated local policies for quality of life:

Local authorities are key players in prevention.

Against a backdrop of societal, demographic and climate change, the health and quality of life of residents are, more than ever, cross-cutting priorities. The High Council for Public Health (HCSP) is calling for a fundamental shift in the paradigm of public policy.

This involves viewing health as co-produced by all public policies and as a source of socio-economic development, rather than maintaining sectoral actions in silos. This approach is part of the ‘Health in All Policies’ (HiAP) framework, which aims to integrate health considerations into all policies, recognising the significant impact of non-health policies on health.

The objective is to reduce the negative consequences of these policies and improve health equity whilst ensuring the sustainability of the health system. This is referred to as primary prevention, i.e. measures that act directly on the environments and living conditions affecting health. Thus, every decision regarding urban planning, transport, education, the environment, etc., should also be considered through the lens of its effects on citizens’ well-being and health. This is the principle of integrated policies that promote quality of life.

The HCSP report entitled Implementing policies in the French context sets out concrete proposals for rolling out this integrated approach in France (september 2025).