Transcript About the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)

From dissemination to policy making
20 years of NGO involvement in Environment and
Health in Europe
Genon K. Jensen, Executive Director
Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)
Monika Kosinski, Executive Committee
Second joint European Public Health Conference
25-28 November 2009, Lodz, Poland
Health & Environment Alliance, www.env-health.org
Presentation overview
1. Environment and health agenda
Creating public support for more protective
environmental policies.
2. About the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)
Better health through a better environment
3. Increasing capacity of NGOs
Bridging the science-policy gap.
4. The role of EUPHA members
Harnessing expertise from health community
and strengthening public health perspective in
environmental policies.
HEAL: Who we are, What we do
An European umbrella platform with +60
member organisations in 22 countries
 Monitor environmental health concerns/evidence.
 Advocate for health to be at the centre of EU (and other
governmental) environmental policies
 Increase health community’s understanding and participation
in EU and national decision-making processes
 Ensure communication of new science
to policy makers
The environment and health agenda
Creating public support for protective environmental
policies and the sustainable development agenda
1. Improved public participation of health community
2. Increased policy coherency between health and
environment
3. Captured the imagination of the public
The environment and health agenda
• 1980s
• WHO “European Charter on Environment and Health” – NGOs to
“disseminate information to the public”
• 1990s
• 89% Europeans worried about how environment affects health
• European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) formed
• European Commission adopts health “competence”
• WHO invited EPHA to present NGO priorities at first European
Conference on E&H in London
• 2000s
• DG Environment launches discussions on E&H plan
• EPHA Environment Network formed as separate entity
• EEN renamed Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)
The environment and health agenda
Today, environment and health is a recognised theme at
European level
Processes that HEAL is involved in:
• EU European Environment and Health Action Plan
2004- 2010
• WHO Environment and Health Process
HEAL sits on the EEHC Steering Group
• 1999 (London)
• 2004 (Budapest)
• 2007 (Vienna)
• 2010 (Parma)
HEAL brings NGO
priorities and best
practice examples
Increasing capacity of NGOs
• 20 years ago - NGOs were just starting to embrace
the environmental health agenda.
• Today’s NGOs - translating science to policy
• Growing in number
• Diversity of areas
• Connecting bodies:
Policy makers
Researchers
Environmentalists
Health groups
Policy
opportunities
What does HEAL do?
Creating better health through strong
environmental policy
Examples of HEAL work this year:
• Climate change and health
Pushing for a health friendly climate change deal
• EU Cancer Plan
Achieving “environmental prevention”
Climate and health work
• Prescription for a Healthy Planet
A global campaign - increasing focus on the health effects of
climate change by uniting the international health community
www.climateandhealthcare.com
• Provide evidence for health
friendly policy change
• Transport
• Building
• Power
Work on the EU Cancer Plan
Achieving environmental prevention
• Workshop on cancer and the environment
• Specialist e-working group
• Active consultative role in EU cancer
partnership
• EUPHA section on Environment
related diseases
Working with EUPHA
Harnessing expertise of the health community
– and strengthening the public health perspective in
environmental policies.
• Highlighting research findings for policy areas
• Providing expertise on HEAL policy papers – a
respected voice
• Using HEAL work within your research and health
promotion activity
EUPHA members and HEAL
Combining your work with ours
- increasing your specialist input to EU policy
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HEAL monthly e-news and policy updates
Become a HEAL member
Join our specialist e-working groups
Read our “Primer” on European E&H
Sign up to “Prescription for a healthy planet”
Provide Scientific expertise in HEAL media activities
Thank you for your attention
Any Questions?
For information on the Health and Environment Alliance:
www.env-health.org
Genon Jesen
Health & Environment Alliance
Tel: +32 2 234 3640
E-mail:[email protected]