Science for policy, policy for science: bridging the gap

Organized by WHO/Europe and the Institute of Health Carlos III of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation in cooperation with the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs and with support of the European Commission Research Directorate-General (EC DG Research).

Bringing together scientists, policy-makers and other relevant stakeholders, the Symposium provided a platform for collaboration in public health research with an emphasis on environment and health that:

• reviewed the main achievements in research on environment and health of the last decade;
• presented research and lessons learnt on health aspects of environmental crises, such as the toxic oil syndrome and the dioxin crises, and on current issues, such as climate change;
• evaluated information and knowledge gaps for policy development on environmental hazards, including risk communication and interventions in situations of scientific uncertainty and of high public concern;
• identified public health priorities requiring further research for consideration by the Seventh Framework Programme 2007-2013 of the EC DG Research.

Summary

The Symposium presented the most recent scientific evidence to policy-makers in preparation of the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in 2010, the next milestone of the environment and health process. A reference document will be produced for strategic planning in the field of research.

Next steps to bridge the gap between research and policy making include important cultural shifts, taking into account the complexity and interdependence of health effects related to multiple environmental exposures, the attention to vulnerable populations, the need to develop new paradigms to support decision making in situations of uncertainty, and the importance of promoting an earlier involvement of stakeholders and improving the transparency of communication, including by engaging media.

Such shifts need new tools to sustain this leap, like improved risk assessment methods, guidance in applying precautionary approaches, enabling institutional settings that facilitate the integration of different disciplines and collaboration between government sectors, better capacity to evaluate the effect of interventions, and allocation of resources ensuring continued investments in creating the human capacity necessary to sustain this change.

Mechanisms to facilitate the dialogue between policy and science, assisting decision-makers in accessing research and building national capacity, would increase the opportunity of bringing research closer to decision-making process. By acting as a broker of knowledge, WHO could facilitate access to the best international research available and work with national policy makers and scientists to support decision-making at the place and time where these decisions need to be made.

Background

In the last two decades, the European environment and health process has evolved along side research on the subject. Relevant studies have been carried out in a number of areas such as air quality, chemicals and emerging diseases, and have contributed to the development of related policies. European policy-makers have recognized the fundamental role of research throughout the environment and health process and its Ministerial Conferences, as well as through the EC's framework programmes for research.

Contacts 

For further information please write an email to Symposium2008@euro.who.int