Environment Health

Regional effort towards better Environment and Health

Every year, an estimated 6.6 million deaths in Asia are attributable to various environmental health risks, amounting to one quarter of the total number of deaths in the region. Despite the magnitude of this health problem, the capacities of countries to deal with environmental health problems are limited, and require strengthening.

The regional initiative to address environmental health problems began in 2004, through a High-Level meeting in Manila in November 2004, involving Director and Director General level officials of the Southeast and East Asian countries. The meeting recommended that a Ministerial Regional Forum be convened.

The First Ministerial Regional Forum on Environment and Health was held 8- 9 August 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Charter for the Regional Forum and its implementation workplans were adopted to coordinate action among related agencies. Also adopted was the Ministerial Declaration on Environment and Health, referred as Bangkok Declaration, to provide a venue for knowledge and to improve policy frameworks at national and regional levels.

The website introduces the activity of the Regional Forum.

Member countries

Highlights

3rd WHO International Conference on Children's Health and the Environment

Third WHO International Conference on Children's Health and the Environment on 8-10 June 2009 in Busan, Republic of Korea. The Conference aims at providing a forum for new knowledge exchange, interactive discussion, reflection and experience sharing, with special emphasis on policies that will reach those most at risk: children, their families and communities.

<4th HIGH-LEVEL Meeting of the Regional Forum>

The 4th HIGH-LEVEL meeting on Environment and Health will review progress in the implementation of the regional charter. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for 24-25 March 2009 in Beijing, China.