The children's health and environment programme advocates the rights of children to live and grow in an environment that allows them to reach their highest attainable level of health.

To achieve this goal, the programme carries out activities in the European Region and supports the implementation of recommendations from Ministerial Conferences on Environment and Health, in coordination with efforts from the global community.

Reasons for concern

Increasing hazards where children live are raising concern about the effects of the deterioration of the environment on their health. Children have a special vulnerability to environmental pollution, and their specific exposure patterns make them subject to higher exposures.

Although children's health in the WHO European Region is currently satisfactory on the whole, warning signals are emerging. They include the return of diseases previously under control (e.g., diphtheria and tuberculosis), the increase of chronic diseases (e.g., asthma and allergies), and the new morbidity from substance abuse, injuries and mental disorders. Adverse effects on children's health also result from increasing socioeconomic inequalities across the Region, the consequences of armed conflict, child labour and the sexual exploitation of minors.