Environment and health

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• New report gives preliminary dose estimation from Fukushima nuclear accident
  23-05-2012
  The report describes a preliminary estimate of radiation doses to the public resulting from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear site in Japan in March 2011.
• 96 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  23-05-2012
  Congratulations to the cities of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ulyanovsk in the Russian Federation. They have been designated in Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and will join other cities working toward the common goal of striving for health and healthy equity in all local policies.
• Russian Federation to host Healthy Cities conference
  22-05-2012
  On 14–16 June 2012, the Russian Federation will host the fourth Annual Business and Technical Conference of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and the Network of European National Healthy Cities Networks.
• WHO/Europe contributed to the interagency report “From transition to transformation: sustainable and inclusive development in Europe and Central Asia”
  26-04-2012
  Sustainable  development  calls  for  a  new  health  governance  approach,  introducing  the  health dimension in decision-making processes cutting across all public policy areas. The development of this approach requires political leadership, creation and dissemination of know-how across sectors, provision of incentives that promote cross-sectoral work, allocation of resources and clarification of responsibilities.
• Schoolchildren in Tajikistan learn about safe drinking water, hygiene and sanitation on World Water Day
  04-04-2012
  To mark World Water Day, the WHO Country Office and Oxfam collaborated with the Department of Education of Rudaki District to organize a series of information and education activities, including a class and drawing contest for schoolchildren centred on the theme of water and food security.
• Environment and health training workshop in Latvia
  27-03-2012
  Seventy participants from the health end environment sectors of eight countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) attended a training workshop on environment and health in Riga, Latvia from 19 to 23 March 2012.
• Significant steps taken in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to mitigate health effects of climate change
  27-03-2012
  Results of a project led by WHO/Europe on protecting health from climate change were presented in Skopje, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, on 20 and 21 March 2012.
• New water safety plan in Tajikistan to reduce water-transmitted diseases in rural areas
  27-03-2012
  During a seminar  on 9 March 2012, and as part of a broader project to protect health from climate change, experts from the WHO Country Office in Tajikistan and the Ministry of Health introduced a water safety plan to protect small-scale water supply systems and improve the quality of drinking water and sanitation. 
• Where do natural hazards pose a public health risk?
  20-03-2012
  Earthquakes, floods, landslides, high winds and heat waves put lives in peril, and extreme weather events due to climate change are increasing. WHO/Europe has mapped people’s risk of exposure to these hazards in the 32 most-affected countries in the Region.
• New WHO-led project to advice European Union on health aspects of air pollution for policy update
  29-02-2012
  WHO/Europe is coordinating a project to provide the European Commission and its stakeholders with evidence-based advice on the health aspects of air pollution. The REVIHAAP project will support the comprehensive revision of the European Union (EU) air quality policies due in 2013.
• Environment and Health Ministerial Board meets
  16-02-2012
  The Environment and Health Ministerial Board held its second meeting on 14 February 2012, to set priorities to put before WHO’s Regional Committee for Europe in September. 
• WHO launches expanded European Centre for Environment and Health in Bonn, Germany: new report on environmental health inequalities published
  14-02-2012
  One citizen out of five dies from environment-associated diseases in the WHO European Region. The environmental burden of ill health varies significantly across the Region, however, ranging from 14% to 54%. Within countries, the poor can be exposed to environmental risks five times more often than their wealthier peers, a new WHO report concludes.
• WHO assists Tajik hospitals in preparing for emergencies
  14-02-2012
  To help strengthen Tajikistan’s capacity to respond to environment-related emergencies, WHO/Europe is supporting a hospital preparedness project from January to August 2012 in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Tajikistan and the local NGO “Centre for climate change and disaster risk reduction related to the environment”.  
• Improving access to safe drinking-water in rural Tajikistan
  09-02-2012
  WHO/Europe has provided expert advice and construction materials to rural communities in the Hamadoni and Panjakent districts of Tajikistan, to improve the population’s access to systems supplying safe drinking-water. This work is part of a pilot project under way in two regions.
• Health services must prepare for extremely cold weather
  03-02-2012
  Extremely cold weather increases mortality and poses a high health risk to many, particularly children and elderly, homeless or intoxicated people. Health services and hospitals must care for patients suffering from exposure to the cold, hypothermia, frostbite, injuries and accidents, as well as respiratory infections and cardiovascular incidents.
• 94 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  23-01-2012
  Congratulations to the city of Venice, Italy. It has been designated in Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and will join other cities working toward the common goal of striving for health and healthy equity in all local policies.
• Save the date! The 2012 Healthy Cities Conference will be held 14-16 June 2012
  17-01-2012
  The 2012 Healthy Cities Conference  will take place from 14-16 June, 2012 in the city of St Petersburg, Russian Federation.
• Exchange programme highlights road-safety developments in Turkey and Russian Federation
  17-01-2012
  The Road Safety in 10 Countries Project, RS10, focused on seat-belt use and speed control during its first stage. Meeting in Ankara, Turkey on 7–9 December 2011, members of the project teams in Turkey and the Russian Federation discussed progress so far.
• Tajik journalists’ role feted in climate-change discussions
  06-01-2012
  On 23 December 2011, the Ministry of Health of Tajikistan and WHO recognized the contribution of the mass media and journalists to protecting health from climate change. The awards for their contributions were part of a project financed by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany.
• WHO Rome office closes at the end of 2011
  20-12-2011
  The Rome office of the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health is due to close at the end of December 2011. WHO’s work on environment and health in Europe remains a priority and is being consolidated in Bonn, Germany and Copenhagen, Denmark. This will allow the WHO Regional Office for Europe to maintain and strengthen its technical capacities in this area for the benefit of the 53 Member States of the European Region.
• WHO Rome office closes at the end of 2011
  20-12-2011
  The Rome office of the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health is due to close at the end of December 2011. WHO’s work on environment and health in Europe remains a priority and is being consolidated in Bonn, Germany and Copenhagen, Denmark. This will allow the WHO Regional Office for Europe to maintain and strengthen its technical capacities in this area for the benefit of the 53 Member States of the European Region.
• WHO Rome office closes at the end of 2011
  20-12-2011
  The Rome office of the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health is due to close at the end of December 2011. WHO’s work on environment and health in Europe remains a priority and is being consolidated in Bonn, Germany and Copenhagen, Denmark. This will allow the WHO Regional Office for Europe to maintain and strengthen its technical capacities in this area for the benefit of the 53 Member States of the European Region.
• WHO Rome office closes at the end of 2011
  20-12-2011
  The Rome office of the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health is due to close at the end of December 2011. WHO’s work on environment and health in Europe remains a priority and is being consolidated in Bonn, Germany and Copenhagen, Denmark. This will allow the WHO Regional Office for Europe to maintain and strengthen its technical capacities in this area for the benefit of the 53 Member States of the European Region.
• WHO Rome office closes at the end of 2011
  20-12-2011
  The Rome office of the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health is due to close at the end of December 2011. WHO’s work on environment and health in Europe remains a priority and is being consolidated in Bonn, Germany and Copenhagen, Denmark. This will allow the WHO Regional Office for Europe to maintain and strengthen its technical capacities in this area for the benefit of the 53 Member States of the European Region.
• Workshop on development of palliative care in Bulgaria
  16-12-2011
  On 2-3 December 2011, the Specialized Hospital for Active Treatment on Oncology and the Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Vratsa, supported by the WHO Country Office, Bulgaria, organized the workshop entitled “Development of palliative care in Bulgaria”.
• Drink–driving: still a deadly seasonal cocktail
  15-12-2011
  Road accidents usually increase during the winter holiday season, owing to higher levels of drinking. Although all European countries have national policies on drink–driving, enforcement remains a critical issue.
• Hazardous chemicals are all around us: the last WHY newsletter deals with ways to cope with risks from harmful substances
  14-12-2011
  The fifth newsletter from journalists in the WHY network discusses problems and possible solutions related to chemicals. An editorial from WHO/Europe indicates the public health priorities and how  WHO is tackling this challenge.
• WHO highlights the co-benefits for health of transport policies that mitigate climate change
  06-12-2011
  A new WHO report, part of the Health in the Green Economy series, considers the evidence regarding health co-benefits, and risks, of climate change mitigation strategies for transport, as reviewed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007. In the European Region, WHO is promoting climate change mitigation strategies for transport within the Framework for Action on climate change and the pan-European programme on transport, health and environment (THE PEP).
• 93 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  17-11-2011
  Congratulations to the cities of Copenhagen in Denmark; Nantes in France and Cork in Ireland. They have been designated in Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and will join other cities working toward the common goal of striving for health and healthy equity in all local policies.
• Integrated care for elderly in Slovakia
  16-11-2011
  One of the priorities of the Biennial Collaborative Agreement (BCA) 2011-2012 in Slovakia is policy and technical recommendations for long-term care of the elderly at national and local levels. An important event to support this was a conference entitled, “Does society create favourable conditions for active ageing?” held on 20 October 2011, in Bratislava.
• THE PEP Symposium 2011 to discuss inclusive and innovative urban mobility
  14-11-2011
  European challenges and successes towards sustainable urban mobility and improved individual health will be showcased at the second Symposium organized under the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP).
• Joint action on environmental health threats discussed
  02-11-2011
  Meeting for the first time in Bled, Slovenia, on 26–28 October 2011, the European Environment and Health Task Force discussed proposed areas of joint action to implement the commitments agreed by European countries in the Parma Declaration on Environment and Health.
• European Task Force on Environment and Health starts its activities in Bled, Slovenia, on 26–28 October 2011
  24-10-2011
  The Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, held in 2010 in Parma, Italy, established the European Environment and Health Task Force (EEHTF) as the leading international body for implementation and monitoring of the European Environment and Health Process (EEHP). The first meeting of the Task Force will elect two Co-chairs,discuss the relevant aspects of the European environment and health governance and discuss and endorse specific actions as a follow-up to the Parma Conference commitments.
• WHO's Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) 'Highly Commended' at the UK National Transport Awards
  24-10-2011
  HEAT was praised for its contribution to sustainable transport at a ceremony held in London on 7 October 2011. By providing a methodology and a user-friendly tool that calculates in economic terms the health benefits of cycling or walking as a means of transport, HEAT supports policies to reduce the transport impact on health and the environment. HEAT also helps make the case for promoting physical activity as a means of transport, demonstrating that shifting the balance from motorized transport to cycling and walking brings additional benefits to health associated with increased physical activity.
• Turkey develops response strategy to climate change
  30-09-2011
  Key national and international stakeholders met in Ankara on 28-30 September 2011 to discuss a response strategy to climate change.
• Protecting Health from Climate Change in Kazakhstan
  28-09-2011
  On 20 September 2011, WHO and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan convened a working group meeting for the joint project: Protecting Health from Climate Change in Kazakhstan.
• New WHO database shows poor air quality in cities
  27-09-2011
  Air pollution threatens people’s health in many cities, according to an unprecedented compilation of global data released today by WHO. In the European Region, data were collected from over 350 cities in 33 countries, including national capitals and cities with more than 100 000 residents. In these cities, more than 250 000 people are estimated to die every year because of air pollution.
• Monitoring the implementation of Parma Conference commitments: organizational and methodological issues. Bonn, Germany, 29-30 September 2011
  22-09-2011
  Participants from Member States, representatives of international organizations and selected experts will review progress, agree on synchronization and harmonization of ENHIS-related existing data collection programmes, review and agree on methodologies for new ENHIS indicators that require new data, and review the status of ENHIS to improve the communication of results from environment and health monitoring.
• WHO/Europe highlights the health dimension at the ‘Environment for Europe’ Conference
  21-09-2011
  With side events and exhibitions, WHO will keep the spotlight on health at the forthcoming Seventh "Environment for Europe" Ministerial Conference, organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 21-23 September 2011. The Conference main themes are sustainable management of water and water-related ecosystems, and greening the economy: mainstreaming the environment into economic development. Both themes belong to long-standing areas of collaboration between WHO/Europe and UNECE, as part of the European Environment and Health Process and of the implementation of the Parma Ministerial Declaration on environment and health.
• Training in Tajikistan boosts journalists’ ability to report on climate change
  20-09-2011
  A series of training workshops has helped journalists in Tajikistan to raise awareness about climate change and its effects on health. Three workshops were held in Sogd oblast (Khujand city); Khatlon oblast (Kurgan-tube) and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO – Khorog). The aim was to develop journalists’ skills in research and analysis, and presentation of balanced coverage of environmental issues, including climate change.
• WHO's Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) helps assessing the health benefits of public bicycle sharing scheme in Barcelona, Spain
  06-09-2011
  Bicing is a public bicycle sharing scheme in Barcelona, Spain, with about 182,000 subscribers. A health impact assessment study estimated the risks and benefits to health of travel by bicycle compared with travel by car in an urban environment. Results show that the public bicycle scheme brings benefits to health by increasing the levels of physical activity, and also through reducing carbon dioxide emission. The study used WHO guidance and HEAT, the Health Economic Assessment Tool, to estimate the health benefits of cycling.
• The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia takes action to protect health from climate change
  23-08-2011
  To safeguard the health of its citizens from such risks, the Macedonian Government adopted earlier in 2011 a national health adaptation strategy to climate change and action plan, and established a national heat-health action plan to prevent and cope with the health effects of heat-waves. The strategy and its action plan were developed by the Ministry of Health with guidance from WHO/Europe as part of the project “Protecting health from climate change – A seven country initiative”, implemented with financial support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.
• When breathing is a threat: the fourth issue of WHY newsletter focuses on air quality
  27-07-2011
  The fourth newsletter from journalists in the WHY network discusses problems and possible solutions related to air quality. An editorial from WHO/Europe explains how the WHO AIr Quality Guidelines help tackling this challenge.
• WHO issues new advice on heat-waves
  22-07-2011
  Over the last week, several countries in south-eastern Europe have experienced a severe heat-wave. WHO/Europe has issued new information sheets with advice for the general public, medical professionals and health services on how to deal with the health effects of a heat-wave.
• Revised drinking-water guidelines issued
  14-07-2011
  WHO has issued revised guidelines for drinking-water quality, to prevent waterborne disease. Over 330 000 cases of water-related disease are reported on average every year in the WHO European Region.
• New steps towards assessing environmental health inequalities in Europe
  28-06-2011
  A WHO expert group is working to support European policy-makers in developing adequate policies and actions to reduce environmental health inequalities. At their second meeting in Bonn, Germany, on 16-17 June 2011, experts progressed the development of a report assessing environmental health inequalities in Europe, to be published in early 2012.
• New evidence from WHO: inadequate housing causes more than 100 000 annual deaths in Europe
  23-06-2011
  Inadequate housing accounts for over 100 000 deaths per year in the WHO European Region and causes or contributes to many preventable diseases and injuries, including respiratory, nervous system and cardiovascular diseases and cancer. This is the main conclusion of a report, "Environmental burden of disease associated with inadequate housing", released today by WHO/Europe.
• European mayors to champion Health 2020
  23-06-2011
  Political leaders from 95 European cities have committed to being proactive partners in the development of Health 2020, the European policy for health and well-being.
• New WHO report on health co-benefits of climate change mitigation from the housing sector
  20-06-2011
  Evaluation of the health impacts of climate mitigation strategies is critical to informed decisions that will attain the greatest combined gain for health, well-being and sustainable development. In fact, there is good evidence that many climate mitigation strategies can yield both immediate and more sustained global public health benefits – in rich and poor societies, temperate or tropical, urban and rural. Often these health benefits can be derived at comparatively low cost – and at almost no cost to resource-strapped health services – but rather through more careful, strategic, and health-focused development investments.
• New WHO/Europe report: an estimated 10 000 old people physically abused every day
  16-06-2011
  Every year at least 4 million older people in the WHO European Region are estimated to suffer physical abuse: being slapped, punched, kicked, burned, wounded with a knife or locked in their rooms. Research also indicates that as many as 2500 older people may die at the hands of family members. These are the main findings of the new European report on preventing elder maltreatment, released today by WHO/Europe at the 3rd European Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, in Budapest, Hungary. The report gives the first description of the size, causes and consequences of elder maltreatment, and provides an overview of good practice in prevention.
• Ukraine reports 14 cholera cases
  06-06-2011
  Ukraine has reported to WHO 14 laboratory confirmed cases of cholera between 30 May and 6 June 2011 from Mariupol on the Sea of Azov in Donetsk oblast. A local laboratory in Donetsk has confirmed Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1, biotype El Tor, serotype Ogawa as the causative agent in all cases.
• Third issue of WHY newsletter highlights water and sanitation as crucial for life
  30-05-2011
• Interview to Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, on the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health and its benefits to the Region
  26-05-2011
• Protecting health from climate change in Kyrgyzstan
  26-05-2011
  Kyrgyzstan is intensifying its activities on health protection from climate change. This week the Minister of Health agreed to the development of a health adaptation strategy and action plan to protect human health.
• Road safety saves lives and money
  25-05-2011
  Road-traffic crashes kill over 350 Europeans every day, or over 120 000 per year. Almost half of them are pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists, and 6 out of 10 are aged 5–44 years. This unacceptable toll is particularly high in low- and middle-income countries.  At the 2011 summit of the International Transport Forum (ITF) in Leipzig, Germany, WHO/Europe is launching the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020 in the WHO European Region, along with the Global Plan for the Decade, which sets out how countries can save money, as well as lives.
• 90 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  24-05-2011
  The WHO European Healthy Cities Network has hit a Phase V milestone. 90 cities have been through a rigorous application process and have been designated by the network. Congratulations to the cities of Galway in Ireland and Istanbul and Trabzon in Turkey. They will join other cities working toward the common goal of striving for health and healthy equity in all local policies.
• Assessing the climate change impacts in the Mediterranean region. Rome, Italy, 23-25 May 2011
  23-05-2011
  WHO/Europe coordinated the health aspects of CIRCE, an international project co-funded by the European Union on climate change and impacts research in the Mediterranean environment.  The final conference of CIRCE, opening today, presents the first comprehensive regional assessment of climate change impacts in the Mediterranean, to which WHO/Europe contributed with the health chapter. On the last day, the conference will discuss different aspects with stakeholders.
• Managing negative impacts of heat-waves: symposium held in Croatia on heat and health action plans
  18-05-2011
  Climate change has an impact on morbidity and mortality. As Europe, Australia and New Zealand have experienced, heat-waves increase awareness of the connection between health and high temperatures.
• Migrant health: Italy signs agreement
  17-05-2011
  At the World Health Assembly on 16 May, Professor Ferruccio Fazio, Minister of Health of Italy, signed an agreement with Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, on a three year-project on the public health aspects of migration.
• Development of a national climate change and health adaptation strategy in Tajikistan
  13-05-2011
  Under the framework of the German Federal Environment Ministry (BMU) project “Protecting health from climate change”, the WHO Country office in Tajikistan organized a special consultation meeting of the working group for the development of the national climate change and health adaptation strategy in Khoja Obi Garm.
• Road Safety Decade launches today
  11-05-2011
  Road traffic injuries kill some 127 000 people in the WHO European Region every year. WHO/Europe welcomes the Decade of Action on Road Safety 2011–2020, which aims to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries in the Region and the world.
• “Sport for all” policies encourage physical activity
  10-05-2011
  WHO/Europe is leading a project to encourage greater synergy between different sectors working to increase sport and health-enhancing physical activity. 10 May is Move for Health Day.
• 87 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  09-05-2011
  Congratulations to the cities of Dimitrovgrad and Velikiy Ustyug in Russia and Yalova in Turkey. They have been designated in Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and will join other cities working toward the common goal of striving for health and healthy equity in all local policies.
• Ministers push environment and health commitments forward
  05-05-2011
  Environment and health ministers, meeting in Paris this week, have agreed on how to monitor progress in reducing the adverse health impact of environmental threats across the European Region. The first meeting of the European Ministerial Board on Environment and Health took place on 4-5 May 2011.
• Protecting people in Uzbekistan from the effects of climate change
  28-04-2011
  Uzbekistan is one of seven countries (China, Bhutan, Kenya, Fiji, Barbados, Jordan) implementing the global project on public health adaptation to climate change funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF).
• Chernobyl, 25 years on: WHO/Europe renews support for the people affected and builds on the lessons learned
  19-04-2011
  Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, will join many other leaders from around the world to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident and to review the reconstruction and development of the affected communities.
• National Water Safety workshop in Turkmenistan
  11-04-2011
• Task Force on health aspects of long-range transboundary air pollution meets on 12-13 May 2011
  02-04-2011
  The next meeting of the Task Force will take place in Bonn, Germany, on 12-13 May 2011.
• Eastern European countries to discuss common challenges and solutions for water and health issues
  01-04-2011
  Representatives of Belarus, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine will meet at a workshop in Minsk, Belarus, on 5-6 April 2011 to share experiences and discuss challenges related to the implementation of the Protocol on Water and Health.
• Workshop on Climate Change and Health Vulnerability in Tajikistan, 16 March 2011
  31-03-2011
  On 16 March 2011 the WHO Country office in the Republic of Tajikistan in cooperation with the Ministry of Health conducted a workshop on the development of a National Climate Change and Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS). 
• New evidence from WHO on health effects of traffic-related noise in Europe
  30-03-2011
  Traffic-related noise accounts for over 1 million healthy years of life lost annually to ill health, disability or early death in the western countries in the WHO European Region. This is the main conclusion of the first report assessing the burden of disease from environmental noise in Europe, released today by WHO/Europe. Noise causes or contributes to not only annoyance and sleep disturbance but also heart attacks, learning disabilities and tinnitus.
• Urban water management in focus on World Water Day
  22-03-2011
  Under the theme “Water for cities”, World Water Day 2011 focuses on the impact of rapid urban population growth, industrialization and uncertainties caused by climate change, conflicts and natural disasters on urban water and sanitation systems.
• Experts select indicators to monitor the implementation of commitments from the Parma Conference
  21-03-2011
  At a WHO meeting, experts from 35 Member States and three international organizations selected a minimum set of indicators related to the five Parma Declaration commitments with specified deadlines for implementation. These 18 indicators provide information on exposures to environmental factors, health effects and policy actions.
• Health update: nuclear reactor crisis in Japan
  18-03-2011
  WHO is cautioning people concerned about the radiation issues in Japan against self-medicating with potassium iodide or taking products containing iodine. According to Russian authorities, radiation levels in the eastern provinces of the Russian Federation remain normal.
• WHO support to Japan after earthquake and tsunami
  15-03-2011
  Following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on 11 March 2011, and the continuing nuclear power plant crisis, the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific is coordinating WHO’s activities: it has been in contact with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan and is currently on standby to provide necessary support.
• Governance for health at the local level: People, citizens and assets for health. Liège, Belgium, 15–18 June 2011
  11-03-2011
  Initial consultation with local governments on the new health policy for the WHO European Region – Health 2020
• Training for journalists inTajikistan on health impact of climate change
  11-03-2011
  A training workshop for media professionals working with climate change and health was held 4-5 March 2011 in Tajikistan.
• Earth Hour: use energy wisely
  09-03-2011
  20.30 to 21.30 on Saturday 26 March 2011 will mark Earth Hour, when lights will be switched off around the globe so people can take a stand against climate change. Reducing overall energy use and encouraging the uptake of renewable energy sources have a dual benefit for health. This year we are being encouraged to “Go beyond the hour!”  
• 84 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  01-03-2011
  Dunkerque, France has been designated in Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and will join other cities working toward the common goal of striving for health and healthy equity in all local policies.
• Second issue of WHY Newsletter discusses the climate change challenges to health
  28-02-2011
• Project to prevent water-related diseases in Georgia takes off
  18-02-2011
  Thanks to the project facilitation mechanism (PFM) created under the Protocol on Water and Health, a project proposed by Georgia to increase access to safe water has started, with technical and financial support from Germany. Through the PFM, WHO/Europe provides technical assistance and coordinates project activities with both countries.
• Being physically active helps prevent cancer
  04-02-2011
  On World Cancer Day on 4 February, WHO/Europe points at physical activity as an effective means to prevent cancer, together with avoiding tobacco and following a healthy diet, and invites policy-makers to strengthen efforts to encourage active transport.
• 2011 International Forum on Occupational Health and Safety: Second announcement and call for abstracts
  27-01-2011
  Authors are invited to submit by 28 February 2011abstracts for oral and poster presentations for the Forum, to be held in Espoo, Finland, on 20-22 June 2011 on the theme of occupational health and safety policies, profiles and services. The Forum is organized by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, in collaboration with WHO, the International Labour Office, the International Commission on Occupational Health, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.
• Three Czech Healthy Cities win 2010 Livcom Awards
  18-01-2011
  The WHO European Healthy Cities Network congratulates the three Czech Healthy Cities, Chrudim, Mladá Boleslav and Tábor, who won 2010 Livcom Awards. The international competition of the Livcom Awards is endorsed by the UN and recognizes cities for their achievements in the field of environmental protection and cultural heritage, sustainable development of the communities, healthy lifestyle or strategic planning. The competition's criteria focus on assessment of the quality of inhabitants' life and enforcement of sustainable development principles and its three pillars - economic, social and environmental.
• Save the date! 15-18 June 2011: Annual WHO European Healthy Cities Business and Technical Conference
  04-01-2011
  The meeting will be held 15-18 June 2011 in Province of Liège, Belgium and hosted by Liege Province Santé. More details will be posted soon.
• 83 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  21-12-2010
  Congratulations to the cities of Waterford in Ireland, and Bologna and Torino in Italy. They have been designated in Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and will join other cities working toward the common goal of striving for health and healthy equity in all local policies.
• Green transport benefits health, creates jobs and combats climate change
  17-12-2010
• First WHO indoor air quality guidelines on indoor chemicals now released
  15-12-2010
  Hazardous substances emitted from buildings, construction materials and indoor equipment or due to human activities such as fuel combustion for cooking or heating, lead to a broad range of health problems and may even be fatal. WHO/Europe has released a new volume of the global guidelines for indoor air quality  today.
• Health and climate change on the agenda at COP16
  10-12-2010
  Yesterday, the Minister of Health of The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia outlined the health effects of climate change and the strategy that his country has adopted to address them, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancún, Mexico.
• What are the health impacts from policies to mitigate climate change in the housing sector?
  09-12-2010
  A series of WHO policy briefings on the health co-benefits of climate change mitigation summarises initial key findings and identifies expected health impacts from policies to mitigate climate change in the housing, transport, household energy and the health sector.
• Launch of the European Network for Workers’ Health. Bonn, Germany, 6-8 December 2010
  06-12-2010
  The joint meeting of the WHO Collaborating Centres (CCs) for Occupational Health and the National Focal Points on Workers’ Health (NFPs), key partners of WHO/Europe in the Regional implementation of the WHO Global Plan of Action on Workers’ Health, opens today in Bonn and will establish the European Network for Workers’ Health (ENWH) as an umbrella for the various contributing networks.
• Towards sustainable transport patterns: THE PEP symposium and meeting of THE PEP Steering Committee. Geneva, Switzerland, 8-10 December 2010
  05-12-2010
  The Steering Committee of the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP) reviews progress made, decides on activities and adopts workplans. This year, for the first time, the meeting will be preceded by a symposium on “Green and health-friendly investment and jobs in transport” with speakers from governments, civil society and the private sector.
• Experts call for international guidelines on healthy housing
  30-11-2010
  International guidance on ‘healthy housing’ should be developed to help prevent a wide range of diseases and unintentional injuries that can be effectively addressed through better housing. This was a key message emerging from a global consultation of 40 experts from 18 countries hosted by WHO headquarters in Geneva on 13-15 October 2010.
• Hidden cities: a report on health inequities
  25-11-2010
  WHO published “Hidden cities: unmasking and overcoming health inequities in urban settings” with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT). The report was launched at last week’s Global Forum on Urbanization and Health, in Kobe, Japan, as part of WHO’s 2010 World Health Day campaign.
• Urbanization and health in the news
  23-11-2010
  Following the Global Forum on Urbanization and Health held in Kobe, Japan, CNN features a series of stories on urbanization and health.
• European countries set targets for giving everyone access to safe and affordable water and sanitation
  23-11-2010
  Reducing economic barriers to access to safe drinking-water is one of the key objectives of the Second Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health, which starts today in Bucharest, Romania. 
• Global Forum on Urbanization and Health: Kobe, Japan, 15-17 November 2010
  16-11-2010
  Kobe, Japan, 15-17 November 2010
• 80 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  15-11-2010
  Congratulations to the cities of Brussels in Belgium, Kocaeli in Turkey and Zagreb in Croatia. They have been designated in Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and will join other cities working toward the common goal of striving for health and healthy equity in all local policies.
• New rehabilitation guidelines for the disabled launched
  09-11-2010
  WHO has released new community-based rehabilitation (CBR) guidelines to support the inclusion of people with disabilities in health, education, employment, social, skills-training and other community services and activities.
• 77 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  04-11-2010
  Congratulations to the cities of Ourense and San Sebastian de los Reyes in Spain. They have been designated in Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and will join other cities working toward the common goal of striving for health and healthy equity in all local policies.
• WHO international conference seeks consensus on public health recommendations for extreme weather events. Bonn, Germany, 29-30 November 2010
  03-11-2010
  This international conference aims to start putting the European Framework for Action in practice through a review of the international experience in adaptation to climate change, with a focus on extreme weather events.
• Progress towards MDG 7 on ensuring environmental responsibility faces challenges in the WHO European Region
  01-11-2010
  The report Millennium Development Goals in the WHO European Region. A situational analysis at the eve of the five-year countdown points to the need to strengthen health systems to reach the MDGs. Special attention is given to inequities and to synergies between the MDGs. MDG 7, aiming to ensure environmental responsibility, has a fundamental role in safeguarding human health and survival.
• Establishing tools to monitor the implementation of the Parma Conference commitments. WHO consultation in Bonn, Germany, 25-26 November 2010
  30-10-2010
  This WHO consultation aims to laying the grounds for future development and upgrade of the European Environment and Health Information System (ENHIS) to enable targeted evaluation of the effects of policy actions on reducing adverse health outcomes associated with these priority factors.
• 75 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  25-10-2010
  Congratulations to the cities of Klaipeda in Lithuania and Warsaw in Poland. They have been designated in Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and will join other cities working toward the common goal of striving for health and healthy equity in all local policies.
• WHO/Europe concludes mission on health impact of sludge spill in Hungary
  20-10-2010
  A four-day WHO expert field mission to Hungary has developed a set of recommendations to minimize the short- and long-term health impact of the sludge spill at an alumina plant in Hungary on 4 October 2010.
• WHO/Europe to assess health impact of sludge spill in Hungary
  12-10-2010
  A team of WHO experts is travelling to Hungary today to provide additional expertise to the Government-led assessment of the potential short- and long-term health effects of a sludge spill that affected the country’s western territories on 4 October 2010.
• How to report on environmental health inequalities? WHO gathers experts to develop and pilot a national assessment tool. Bonn, Germany, 25-26 October 2010
  05-10-2010
  Social determinants have a significant influence on health. Still, there is a fundamental lack of knowledge on the magnitude as well as on the distribution of socially determined environmental inequalities in almost all countries of the WHO European Region. The work presented at the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health (Parma, Italy, March 2010) identified the lack of national data and monitoring systems as one of the main reasons leading to weak evidence. This meeting is part of a WHO/Europe project to develop tools enabling the assessment of the magnitude of environmental inequalities on national scale, and directly contributes to the implementation of the Parma Declaration.
• Annual meeting and second conference of HEPA Europe. Olomouc, Czech Republic, 24-26 November 2010
  30-09-2010
• The International Volcanic Health Hazard Network publishes initial findings of a hazard assessment of ash from the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull volcano, Iceland
  29-09-2010
• 73 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  28-09-2010
  Congratulations to the cities of Barcelona in Spain, Izmir in Turkey, and Rotterdam in the Netherlands. They have been designated in Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and will join other cities working toward the common goal of striving for health and healthy equity in all local policies.
• Wellness at work – promoting heart health on World Heart Day
  24-09-2010
  Although heart attacks and strokes are major killers in all parts of the world, 80% of premature deaths from these causes could be avoided by controlling the main risk factors: tobacco, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. The workplace is one setting where these risk factors can be addressed as both employers and employees can do a lot to improve wellness at work through a workplace that promotes exercise, proper diet and smoke-free environments.
• All forms of asbestos can cause cancer
  24-09-2010
  Asbestos has been widely used in buildings and certain commercial products. As a result, 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos at work. Occupational exposure to asbestos causes more than 107 000 people die each year from asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.
• WHO meeting to estimate the burden of disease from environmental noise, Bonn, Germany, 14-15 October 2010
  24-09-2010
  This meeting follows up on the results a WHO/Europe pilot study on the burden of disease of priority environmental exposures in six European countries. According to the study, environmental noise is the second leading cause of the environmental burden of disease in the selected countries. Conclusions and recommendations from the meeting will help local and national authorities in risk assessment and environmental health planning related to environmental noise.
• Progress towards MDG 7 on ensuring environmental responsibility faces challenges in the WHO European Region
  21-09-2010
  The report Millennium Development Goals in the WHO European Region. A situational analysis at the eve of the five-year countdown points to the need to strengthen health systems to reach the MDGs. Special attention is given to inequities and to synergies between the MDGs. MDG 7, aiming to ensure environmental responsibility, has a fundamental role in safeguarding human health and survival.
• United Nations declare access to clean water and sanitation a human right, Water Protocol is a key tool to implement it
  20-09-2010
  The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing access to clean water and sanitation a human right. The Assembly urged its Member States as well as international organizations to offer funding, resources and technology to assist poorer countries provide accessible and affordable clean drinking water and sanitation for everyone. This objective is closely linked to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. WHO/Europe supports the attainment of the human right to water, sanitation through its work within the WHO/UNECE Protocol on Water and Health. The Protocol, the first major international legal mechanism for the prevention, control and reduction of water-related diseases, is a key tool to deliver access to clean water and sanitation to all.
• WHO publishes methodological guidance on assessing the burden of disease of second hand smoke at national and local levels
  20-09-2010
  Second-hand smoke (SHS) is one of the most important and most widespread exposures in the indoor environment, affecting a large proportion of the population. Children are commonly exposed to SHS when their parents are smokers. Some countries have passed legislation that prohibits smoking in the workplace, but elsewhere workers in the entertainment and food industries are frequently exposed to SHS on a daily basis. It has been known for many years that tobacco smoke is hazardous to health, and there is now a substantial literature that documents the risks associated specifically with exposure to SHS.
• WHO publishes methodological guidance on assessing the burden of disease of second hand smoke at national and local levels
  20-09-2010
  Second-hand smoke (SHS) is one of the most important and most widespread exposures in the indoor environment, affecting a large proportion of the population. Children are commonly exposed to SHS when their parents are smokers. Some countries have passed legislation that prohibits smoking in the workplace, but elsewhere workers in the entertainment and food industries are frequently exposed to SHS on a daily basis. It has been known for many years that tobacco smoke is hazardous to health, and there is now a substantial literature that documents the risks associated specifically with exposure to SHS.
• Safe and healthy walking and cycling in urban areas workshop. Batumi, Georgia, 30 September-1 October
  17-09-2010
  In this workshop, organized within the Pan-European Programme on Transport, Health and Environment (THE PEP), participants will identify challenges and needs regarding the promotion of innovative policies to support walking and cycling as increasingly viable and attractive modes of urban mobility. Policy areas under discussion include planning, financing, infrastructure development and regulations.  
• Travel smarter, live better: European Mobility Week starts today
  17-09-2010
  The European Mobility Week is a European Union campaign aiming at raising citizens’ awareness on the use of public transport, cycling, walking and at encouraging European cities to promote these modes of transport and to invest in the new necessary infrastructures. A healthier and more sustainable mobility is also the ultimate goal of WHO/Europe’s activities in the area of transport and health. To reach this goal, WHO develops tools to support transport choices which benefit health and the environment, and works in collaboration with Member States through the Pan-European Programme on Transport, Health and Environment (THE PEP).
• New resolution adopted on environment and health for Europe
  16-09-2010
  A new health and environment vision for Europe was endorsed by the sixtieth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, gathering on 13–16 September 2010 in Moscow, Russian Federation.
• WHO publishes methodological guidance on assessing the burden of disease of second hand smoke at national and local levels
  16-09-2010
  Second-hand smoke (SHS) is one of the most important and most widespread exposures in the indoor environment, affecting a large proportion of the population. Children are commonly exposed to SHS when their parents are smokers. Some countries have passed legislation that prohibits smoking in the workplace, but elsewhere workers in the entertainment and food industries are frequently exposed to SHS on a daily basis. It has been known for many years that tobacco smoke is hazardous to health, and there is now a substantial literature that documents the risks associated specifically with exposure to SHS.
• 70 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  16-09-2010
  Congratulations to the city of Karsikaya-Izmir in Turkey, Modena in Italy, Pärnu in Estonia, and Swansea in the United Kingdom. They have been designated in Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and will join other cities working toward the common goal of striving for health and healthy equity in all local policies.
• Health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks, according to a scientific paper
  14-09-2010
  A Dutch study quantified the impact both on society and for individuals when 500,000 people would make a transition from car to bicycle for short trips on a daily basis in the Netherlands.  Results show that on average beneficial effects on individuals of increased physical activity are substantially larger than the potential mortality effect of increased inhaled air pollution and traffic crashes.
• First issue of WHY newsletter presents new perspectives for environmental health
  13-09-2010
  Welcome to the debut of the World Health Youth (WHY) Communication Network newsletter! The first newsletter from journalists in the network, focuses on the legacy from Parma and how it is expected to be put forward by WHO/Europe’s governing body. The WHY is an initiative coordinated by WHO/Europe and its partners within the framework of the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health.
• Russian Federation: no remaining health risks from extreme heat-wave and wildfires
  03-09-2010
  The exceptional situation of a severe heat-wave and air pollution due to wildfires in many regions of the Russian Federation has been declared over.
• Launching “European Network for Workers’ Health”: Meeting of WHO collaborating centres and National Focal Points, Bonn, Germany, 6–8 December 2010
  02-09-2010
  The WHO collaborating centres (CCs) for Occupational Health and the National Focal Points(NFPs) on Workers’ Health will meet in Bonn, Germany, 6–8 December 2010, and launch the European Network for Workers’ Health for effective and efficient implementation of Global Plan of Action on Workers’ Health.
• 66 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  27-08-2010
  Congratulations to the city of Samara in the Russian Federation, Jerusalem in Israel, Kirikkale in Turkey, Padua in Italy and Jurmala in Latvia. They have been designated in Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and will join other cities working toward the common goal of striving for health and healthy equity in all local policies.
• WHO Call for Case Studies on Physical Activity Promotion in Socially Disadvantaged Groups
  24-08-2010
  WHO/Europe is undertaking a project to compile and review existing projects, initiatives and interventions targeting physical activity promotion in socially disadvantaged groups.
• Extreme heat-wave and wildfires cause public health concerns in the Russian Federation
  17-08-2010
  Wildfires that started in mid-July 2010 in the Central and Volga federal districts of the Russian Federation have produced a dense plume of smoke over hundreds of kilometres. The situation is aggravated by the continuing heat-wave.
• Developing guidance and a practical tool for economic assessment of health effects from walking: expert meeting in Oxford, United Kingdom, 1-2 July 2010
  24-06-2010
  The development of a Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) for walking is led by a core group of experts and supported by an international advisory group. Reviews of the epidemiological and economic literature are underway as a basis for the development of the guidance and the tool. The final products are planned to be available in early 2011.
• UK HPA publishes a paper on on the possible effects on health of exposure to volcanic ash and associated gases
  17-06-2010
  The paper provides essential messages on possible type and severity of health effects and evaluation of the potential risks in the United Kingdom.
• UK HPA publishes a paper on on the possible effects on health of exposure to volcanic ash and associated gases
  17-06-2010
  The paper provides essential messages on possible type and severity of health effects and evaluation of the potential risks in the United Kingdom.
• 61 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  15-06-2010
  Congratulations to the city of Cherepovets in the Russian Federation, Viana do Castelo in Portugal, Nancy in France, Izhevsk in the Russian Federation, Denizli in Turkey and Ptolemaidas in Greece They have been designated in Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and will join other cities working toward the common goal of striving for health and healthy equity in all local policies.
• Preventing health effects from heat
  14-06-2010
  Temperatures are on the rise in the European Region. Countries and individuals should be prepared to cope with the heat. WHO/Europe has made available guidance and tools to support health services in planning and making decisions, and to inform the public on do's and dont's.
• Preventing health effects from heat
  14-06-2010
  Temperatures are on the rise in the European Region. Countries and individuals should be prepared to cope with the heat. WHO/Europe has made available guidance and tools to support health services in planning and making decisions, and to inform the public on do's and dont's.
• The Hidden Cities: Addressing Equity in Health and Inclusiveness in Cities
  10-06-2010
  We are pleased to announce that the web site for the 2010 annual integrated Business and Technical Conference of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and of the National Healthy Cities Networks in Phase V has been launched. Conference information and registration are now available.
• Health and strategic environmental assessment: challenges and opportunities for further involving the health sector
  09-06-2010
• Possible effects on health of exposure to volcanic ash and associated gases
  09-06-2010
  The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has published a paper which provides essential messages on possible type and severity of health effects and evaluation of the potential risks in the United Kingdom.
• Health Promotion International features Healthy Cities
  09-06-2010
  The journal issued a special supplement on Healthy Cities in Europe. The articles are based on an evaluation commissioned by WHO/Europe.
• Electromagnetic fields and public health: mobile phones
  27-05-2010
  Interphone study assessed the relation between mobile phone use and brain cancer risk.
• Improving children's health and the environment: examples from the WHO European Region
  25-05-2010
  Thirty-three case studies describe initiatives from across the Region, focusing on the process of implementing each action, including the challenges and lessons learned. Two risk factors stand out: injuries and indoor air pollution.
• WHO/Europe expert group concludes Icelandic volcanic ash currently poses no threat to public health
  23-05-2010
  Health surveillance systems in countries in the WHO European Region detected no exposure of the population to volcano-related air pollution and no health effects which could have been potentially related to volcanic ash following the volcanic eruption of 14 April 2010 in Iceland.
• Inequalities, inequities, environmental justice in waste management and health
  22-05-2010
  This is one of a series of five articles published on inequalities and environmental justice risks
• 55 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  22-05-2010
  Cheboksary in the Russian Federation has been designated in Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network.
• Health in All Policies in practice: guidance and tools to quantifying the health effects of cycling and walking
  22-05-2010
  A project to quantify the positive health effects of cycling and walking has resulted in guidance and tools described in a recent article in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health. It concludes that substantial savings can be expected from increased cycling and walking.
• 49 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities
  22-05-2010
  Congratulations to Glasgow in the United Kingdom, Novosibirsk in the Russian Federation and Villanueva de la Canada in Spain. These cities have been designated in Phase V of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network. They will join other cities working towards the common goal of health and health equity in all local policies.
• Inequalities, inequities, environmental justice in waste management and health
  22-05-2010
  This is one of a series of five articles published on inequalities and environmental justice risks
• 10 May: Move for Health Day
  22-05-2010
  National initiatives to promote physical activity.
• Health Promotion International features Healthy Cities
  22-05-2010
  Health Promotion International has issued a special supplement on European Healthy Cities. The articles are based on an evaluation commissioned by WHO/Europe.
• Climate change in Malta: new report
  22-05-2010
  Climate change puts Malta at particular risk from flash-floods, water- and food-related hazards and (potentially) vector-borne diseases, according to a new report: “Health effects of climate change in the Maltese islands”, by the Environmental Health Directorate of Malta and WHO/Europe.
• 10 May: Move for Health Day
  22-05-2010
  National initiatives to promote physical activity.
• Important questions answered on the health effects of volcanic ash
  21-05-2010
  WHO/Europe answers questions about the consequences of the volcanic ash reaching the ground, the symptoms of exposure, possible long-term effects and many other issues.
• No change in current WHO advice on potential health risks of volcanic ash cloud
  21-05-2010
  There is no change in the current WHO advice about potential health risks: if the volcanic ash reaches ground level in higher concentrations the ash may cause health effects, but these are likely to be minimal.
• Volcano eruption in Iceland will have minimal impact on health
  21-05-2010
  The WHO Regional Office for Europe is closely monitoring the situation. The ash cloud contains fine particles but as long as the ash remains in the upper atmosphere, there will not be an increased risk to health.
• WHO/Europe holds expert meeting on health effects of volcanic ash
  21-05-2010
  WHO/Europe, in collaboration with WHO headquarters, convened an ad hoc scientific advisory group on the health effects of volcanic ash through a teleconference on 21 April. The group was set up to coordinate risk assessment, surveillance and monitoring of the volcanic ash cloud’s possible short- and long-term impact on public health.
• Climate change in Malta: new report
  18-05-2010
  Climate change puts Malta at particular risk from flash-floods, water- and food-related hazards and (potentially) vector-borne diseases, according to a new report: “Health effects of climate change in the Maltese islands”, by the Environmental Health Directorate of Malta and WHO/Europe.
• European governments adopt comprehensive plan to reduce environmental risks to health by 2020
  15-05-2010
  The Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health closed in Parma, Italy, on 12 March 2010. In this first major gathering of health and environment ministers since the Copenhagen conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change last December, European governments pledged to integrate health issues into climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, policies and strategies in all sectors.
• Third meeting of the Working Group on Water and Health
  15-05-2010
  The next meeting of the Working Group is scheduled for 27–28 May 2010. Its main objective is to prepare the second session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (Bucharest, Romania, 23–25 November 2010).
• Third meeting of the Protocol ad hoc project facilitation mechanism (AHPFM)
  06-05-2010
  The next meeting, scheduled for 26 May 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland, will review progress achieved since the first meeting (projects in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine) and discuss new project proposals (status of progress in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan).
• 49 cities now members of the WHO European Health Cities Network
  04-05-2010
  Congratulations to Glasgow in the United Kingdom, Novosibirsk in the Russian Federation and Villanueva de la Cañada in Spain. These cities have joined the WHO European Healthy Cities Network in Phase V. They will join others working towards the common goal of health and health equity in all local policies.
• Volcanic ash cloud over Europe
  30-04-2010
  Health surveillance systems in countries in the WHO European Region detected no exposure of the population to volcano-related air pollution and no health effects which could have been potentially related to volcanic ash following the volcanic eruption of 14 April 2010 in Iceland.
• WHO/Europe expert group concludes Icelandic volcanic ash currently poses no threat to public health
  30-04-2010
  Health surveillance systems in countries in the WHO European Region detected no exposure of the population to volcano-related air pollution and no health effects which could have been potentially related to volcanic ash following the volcanic eruption of 14 April 2010 in Iceland.
• Health in All Policies in practice: guidance and tools to quantifying the health effects of cycling and walking
  27-04-2010
  A project to quantify the positive health effects of cycling and walking has resulted in guidance and tools described in a recent article in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health. It concludes that substantial savings can be expected from increased cycling and walking.
• WHO/Europe holds expert meeting on health effects of volcanic ash
  22-04-2010
  WHO/Europe, in collaboration with WHO headquarters, convened an ad hoc scientific advisory group on the health effects of volcanic ash through a teleconference on 21 April. The group was set up to coordinate risk assessment, surveillance and monitoring of the volcanic ash cloud’s possible short- and long-term impact on public health.
• WHO/Europe holds expert meeting on health effects of volcanic ash
  22-04-2010
  WHO/Europe, in collaboration with WHO headquarters, convened an ad hoc scientific advisory group on the health effects of volcanic ash through a teleconference on 21 April. The group was set up to coordinate risk assessment, surveillance and monitoring of the volcanic ash cloud’s possible short- and long-term impact on public health.
• Important questions answered on the health effects of volcanic ash
  21-04-2010
  WHO/Europe answers questions about the consequences of the volcanic ash reaching the ground, the symptoms of exposure, possible long-term effects and many other issues.
• Important questions answered on the health effects of volcanic ash
  21-04-2010
  WHO/Europe answers questions about the consequences of the volcanic ash reaching the ground, the symptoms of exposure, possible long-term effects and many other issues.
• No change in current WHO advice on potential health risks of volcanic ash cloud
  19-04-2010
  There is no change in the current WHO advice about potential health risks: if the volcanic ash reaches ground level in higher concentrations the ash may cause health effects, but these are likely to be minimal.
• No change in current WHO advice on potential health risks of volcanic ash cloud
  19-04-2010
  There is no change in the current WHO advice about potential health risks: if the volcanic ash reaches ground level in higher concentrations the ash may cause health effects, but these are likely to be minimal.
• Volcano eruption in Iceland will have minimal impact on health
  16-04-2010
  The WHO Regional Office for Europe is closely monitoring the situation. The ash cloud contains fine particles but as long as the ash remains in the upper atmosphere, there will not be an increased risk to health.
• Volcano eruption in Iceland will have minimal impact on health
  16-04-2010
  The WHO Regional Office for Europe is closely monitoring the situation. The ash cloud contains fine particles but as long as the ash remains in the upper atmosphere, there will not be an increased risk to health.
• Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, Parma, Italy, 10–12 March 2010
  31-03-2010
  Protecting children's health in a changing environment The Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, organized by WHO/Europe and hosted by Italy, is the latest milestone in the European environment and health process, now in its twentieth year. Focused on protecting children’s health in a changing environment, the Conference set Europe’s agenda on emerging environmental health challenges for the years to come.
• European governments adopt comprehensive plan to reduce environmental risks to health by 2020
  16-03-2010
  Governments from across Europe adopted a Declaration at the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, pledging to reduce the adverse health impact of environmental threats in the next decade.
• Croatia issues Healthy Cities stamp
  30-10-2008
  To honour the 20th anniversary of the Healthy Cities movement, celebrated at the 2008 annual WHO European Healthy Cities Network meeting in Zagreb, Croatia issued a special stamp.