Environment and health matters for Europe
A significant number of health problems can be attributed to environmental factors, which range from chemicals and food, to housing quality and noise. For example, a major 2004 WHO study reported that one third of disease in children and adolescents in the European Region stems from just five environmental risk factors1.
High quality research is needed to underpin policies designed to influence the environmental factors that affect our health. This issue reports on some of the latest research which points the way to robust health and environment policies and helps evaluate their impact.
The impacts of climate change are far-reaching, and scientific information about its possible health effects is emerging. The article 'Link between climate change and child health: call for more research' highlights the sensitivity of children to the environment, while 'Managing infectious disease under climate change' discusses how to protect Europe's health in a changing planet.
Research into the effects of air pollution on health remains critical. Often overlooked are the health impacts of indoor air pollution; these are investigated in 'Levels of several air pollutants are higher indoors than outdoors', 'New compilation of research on indoor industrial air pollutants' and 'Air pollution policy must be based on indoor and outdoor sources'.
We must also take care not to overlook air pollutants other than particulate matter (PM). Problems associated with some of these, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), are discussed in 'Unregulated pollutants may cause health risks in Western Balkans'.
Resistance to antimicrobials, such as antibiotics and disinfectants, is a major cause for concern - both for our health and the environment. This issue is explored in 'Are bacteria becoming more resistant after biocide exposure?' and 'Reducing environmental pollution by antibiotics to curb drug resistance'.
To assess and manage environmental health risks, such as those explored in this issue, human biomonitoring can be hugely valuable. Work on a European human biomonitoring programme is underway, and much can be learned from experiences and expertise in individual countries. Germany has the most extensive experience of human biomonitoring in Europe and some of its latest work is reported in 'Changes in background exposure to pollutants for German children'. Biomonitoring also brings ethical and communication challenges. 'Human biomonitoring: involve participants in communication strategy' highlights some new approaches in this field.
The European Commission recognises the complexity of environment and health issues. In 2003, the European Commission adopted a European Strategy on Environment and Health², followed by the European Environment and Health Action Plan 2004-2010³ in 2004, which proposes an integrated information system on environment and health as well as a coordinated approach to human biomonitoring in Member States. Further driving the environment and health agenda in Europe is the upcoming WHO/Europe Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health4, which puts children at the centre of concern.
Ludwine Casteleyn, MD
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (University of Leuven), Belgium
1. www.who.int/quantifying_ehimpacts/publications/9241591900/en/index1.html
2. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/health/strategy.htm
3. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/health/action_plan.htm
www.euro.who.int/parma2010
