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UNEP’s
children’s environmental health related activities
Environmental
quality is one of the key factors in determining whether a child
survives the first years of life, and strongly influences the
child’s
subsequent physical and mental development. They are at greater risk
from environmental hazards because of their physical size, immature
organs, metabolic rate, behaviour, natural curiosity, and lack of
knowledge. Up to one-third of the global burden of disease
can
be attributed to negative environmental factors, such as polluted
air, dirty water, poor sanitation, and insect-transmitted diseases
such as malaria. The health of the
most vulnerable
in society, those living in desperate poverty, the elderly and our
children is particularly affected. Approximately two-thirds of the
global burden of environment-related disease is borne by children.
Prevention is the only sustainable solution: a healthy future for our
children depends in large part on our efforts to safeguard the
environment.
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UNEP has
undertaken a
number of initiatives in the field of
children’s environmental health (CEH), with the World
Health Organization (WHO),
the UN
Children’s Fund (UNICEF),
and several non-governmental and academic organizations. This work
has built on collaboration established in the run-up to the World
Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), when UNEP, WHO and UNICEF
published, ‘Children
in the New Millennium: Environmental Impact on Health’.
UNEP
has primarily been pursuing its children’s environmental
health
work through the WHO-led Healthy
Environments for Children Alliance (HECA),
as well as specific capacity-building activities in partnership with
WHO and the International
Pediatric Association, and
other related collaborative initiatives. This work focuses on how to
support the training of health care providers and environmental
health officers, and promote better collection of information related
to environmental risk factors affecting children's health.
UNEP’s
CEH work falls within its broader work on health
and environment, and relates
to other programme areas such as chemicals
and water.
UNEP activities
which have a
direct
bearing on CEH issues include:
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