Towards a pan-European Environment and Health Information System

1. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Towards a pan-European Environment and Health Information System World Health Organization European Centre for Environment and Health, Bonn Office Dafina Dalbokova,Michal Krzyzanowski Working Group on Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 5th Session, Geneva, 2-3 June 2005

2. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health WHO European Centre for Environment and Health This presentation: • Background: the need for EHIS, Budapest Conference • EHIS: concept and main elements, example • Implementing the Budapest Declaration commitments: • * Activities towards EHIS; • * EHIS implementation in European Region. • Challenges and opportunities

3. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Questions: policy-makers, citizens • What is (magnitude of) environment-related health problems? • How does the environment affect our health? • When to act and how? • Are policy measures effective in terms of health benefits? • How are we doing as compared to others? ?

4. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, Budapest 2004 DECLARATION Children’s EH Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) adopted. Member States commitment on EHIS: • Joining national actions with WHO, the EC and other international agencies on methodological and technical development; • Establishment of necessary mechanisms to sustain the process esp. a network of collaborating centres.

5. EH Information and policy cycle Implementation Monitoring/ evaluation Formulation EH Information WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Health in setting priorities for policy actions H-E situation over time, across countries Policy performance in terms of health benefits

6. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Environment and Health Information System: main elements Indicators Reporting Evidence

7. EH Indicators and Assessments The DPSEEA model WHO European Centre for Environment and Health EH indicators focus: Exposure-Health Effects-Actions EH indicators credibility: scientific evidence of H-E links DPSEEA interlinkages enable policy-relevant EH assessments & reporting

8. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Example: Air pollution POLICY FORMULATION Loss of life expectancy Due to PM2.5 from anthropogenic sources 2000 2010 Loss of Life expectancy in months Source:EMEP & IIASA

9. Preventable Loss of Life Expectancy by a 10% reduction in PM exposure WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Example cont’d POLICY EVALUATION Health Benefits of Reducing Air Pollution Policies http://www.euro.who.int/document/E82938.pdf

10. Population exposure to urban PM10 air pollution 1997-2000 WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Example cont’d POLICY MONITORING http://www.euro.who.int/document/E82938.pdf

11. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Implementing Budapest Declaration Commitments on EHIS Activities towards pan-European EHIS

12. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health WHO European Centre for Environment and Health PROJECTS (i) Development of EH Indicators (1999-2003) Pilot application of a ‘core’ set of EH indicators in collaboration with 15 Member States and EEA towards Budapest Development of EH Indicators for EU Countries: ECOEHIS (2002-2004) Issues covered: Air, Noise, Housing, Traffic accidents, Water & sanitation, Chemical emergencies, Radiation Objectives:To propose, validate and test a ‘core’ set of indicators Results:17 indicators on Exposure, Effects, Action (+ 13 on driving forces, pressure, state identified) Co-sponsored EC DG Sanco

13. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health WHO European Centre for Environment and Health PROJECTS (ii) Implementing Environment and Health Information System in Europe: ENHIS (2004-2007) • WHO/ECEH and partners from 22 Member States • Work Packages: • Information needs of policies • Update core set of indicators (focus: CHILDREN) • Information retrieval and collection • Networking • Health Impact Assessment • Information maintenance, analysis and reporting Co-sponsored EC DG Sanco

14. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health PROJECTS (iii) Testing feasibility of the system (2004/05):Estonia, Latvia, Russian Federation: ‘Assessment of EH situation on air, drinking water’ Related developments 16th Ratification of UNECE/WHO Water & Health Protocol In force - August 2005, reporting programme – early 2006. Air Quality reporting in EU:exceedencesreplaced by a uniform system of pollutant concentrations at spatial resolution. Coordination of EU and WHO work on EHIS

15. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health WHO European Centre for Environment and Health EHIS Implementation in Europe: a coordinated movement to achieve common objectives • Framework action plan: focus - CEHAPE monitoring; • Intergov. Review 2007  CEHAPE assessment report using EHIS; • Steering - EEHC; • Technical coordination - dedicated Group: Albania, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Italy, Lithuania, Slovakia, Spain, EEA, EC DG ENV, EC DG SANCO, EC JRC, UNECE,UNEP, WHO. • Organisational framework using existing national structures: network of technical reference centres, national processes; • 5th Ministerial Conference on EH in 2009.

16. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Challenges … • Simple message on a complex issue • Analyzing data collected for other than EH purposes • Dealing with scientific uncertainty • Reporting overload • Diversity of sectors involved … and Opportunities For joint actions on EH information  2007 Reports; Towards a health-relevant environmental monitoring and reporting.

17. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Thank you Dda@ecehbonn.euro.who.int http://www.euro.who.int/EHindicators http://www.enhis.net

18. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health

19. Regions serving as basis for calculations Legend: Afr D Afr E Amr A Amr B Amr D Eur A Eur B Eur C Emr B Emr D Sear B Sear D Wpr A Wpr B

20. WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Example: Air pollution POLICY FORMULATION (i) Deaths attributable to air pollution by Region WHO CRA project, 2004