In 2016, the United Kingdom voted to exit the European Union, which was surrounded by political and social uncertainty. The United Kingdom now negotiates its own trade agreements, and in March 2023, it agreed to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP). A health impact assessment (HIA) was undertaken in 2022–23 to predict the potential impact of the CPTPP on the health and well-being of the Welsh Population. This paper explores the HIA findings and highlights the value of the approach in engaging with stakeholders and informing policymakers. This HIA followed a standard five-step approach which involved a literature review to identify potential health impacts, qualitative interviews with cross-sectoral stakeholders and the development of a community health profile. The HIA identified potential impacts across the wider determinants of health and specific vulnerable population groups. Investor state dispute settlement mechanisms, economic uncertainty and loss of regulatory policy space were identified as key pathways for health impacts. The findings have been beneficial in informing decision-makers to prepare for the CPTPP in Wales using an evidence-informed approach. This work has demonstrated the value of a HIA approach that uses a transparent process to mobilise a wide range of evidence, resulting in transferrable learning.
Policy Implication
- Governments should use HIAs as a valuable tool that captures the potential impacts of the CPTPP and other trade agreements across the wider determinants of health, well-being and equity. These can be actioned at different stages of the negotiation and implementation process to inform and enable inclusive discussion and decision-making.
- Sustainable procurement and legislation across the UK should not be undermined by free trade agreement provisions.
- Continued efforts to improve awareness and understanding of the ways trade policy and agreements can affect health and healthy public policies and legislation is needed. Public Health Institutes, agencies such as WHO, civil society and academia have a key role to play in this.
- Further research into the issues identified as part of this work and the impact of trade agreements in general would improve understanding of the potential health and equity impacts and what action may be needed to mitigate risks and maximise opportunities. This includes capturing the longer-term impacts of trade agreements on health and well-being.
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