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A pledge to promote the protection of Children's Environmental Health
We, the
undersigned scientists, doctors and public health professionals, educators,
environmental health engineers, community workers and representatives
from a number of international organizations, from governmental and non-governmental
organizations in South East Asian and Western Pacific countries, have
come together with colleagues from different parts of the world from 3
to 7 March 2002 in Bangkok, Thailand, to commit ourselves to work jointly
towards the promotion and protection of children's health against environmental
threats.
Worldwide,
it is estimated that more than one-quarter of the global burden of disease
(GBD) can be attributed to environmental risk factors. Over 40% of the
environmental disease burden falls on children under 5 years of age, yet
these constitute only 10% of the world population. The environmental burden
of paediatric disease in Asia and the Pacific countries is not well recognized
and needs to be quantified and addressed.
WE RECOGNIZE
That a growing number of diseases
in children have been linked to environmental exposures. These range
from the traditional waterborne, foodborne and vector-borne diseases
and acute respiratory infections to asthma, cancer, injuries, arsenicosis,
fluorosis, certain birth defects and developmental disabilities.
That environmental exposures
are increasing in many countries in the region; that new emerging risks
are being identified; and that more and more children are being exposed
to unsafe environments where they are conceived and born, where they
live, learn, play, work and grow. Unique and permanent adverse health
effects can occur when the embryo, fetus, newborn, child and adolescent
(collectively referred to as "children" from here onwards) are
exposed to environmental threats during early periods of special vulnerability.
That in developing countries
the main environmental health problems affecting children are exacerbated
by poverty, illiteracy and malnutrition, and include: indoor and outdoor
air pollution, lack of access to safe water and sanitation, exposure
to hazardous chemicals, accidents and injuries. Furthermore, as countries
industrialize, children become exposed to toxicants commonly associated
with the developed world, creating an additional environmental burden
of disease. This deserves special attention from the industrialized
and developing countries alike.
That environmental hazards
arise both from anthropogenic and natural sources (e.g. plant toxins,
fluoride, arsenic, radiations), which separately and in combination
can cause serious harm to children.
That restoring and protecting
the integrity of the life-sustaining systems of the earth are integral
to ensuring children's environmental health now and in the future. Therefore,
addressing global changes such as human population growth, land and
energy use patterns, habitat destruction, biodiversity loss and climate
change must be part of efforts to promote children's environmental health.
That despite the rising concern
of the scientific community and the education and social sectors about
environmental threats to children's health and development, progress
has been slow and serious challenges still remain.
That the health, environment
and education sectors must take concerted action at all levels (local,
national, global), together with other sectors, in serious efforts to
enable our countries to assess the nature and magnitude of the problem,
identify the main environmental risks to children's health and establish
culturally appropriate monitoring, mitigation and prevention strategies.
WE AFFIRM
That the principle "children
are not little adults" requires full recognition and a preventive
approach. Children are uniquely vulnerable to the effects of many chemical,
biological and physical agents. All children should be protected from
injury, poisoning and hazards in the different environments where they
are born, live, learn, play, develop and grow to become the adults of
tomorrow and citizens in their own right.
That all children should have
the right to safe, clean and supportive environments that ensure their
survival, growth, development, healthy life and well-being. The recognition
of this right is especially important as the world moves towards the
adoption of sustainable development practices.
That it is the responsibility
of community workers, local and national authorities and policy-makers,
national and international organizations, and all professionals dealing
with health, environment and education issues to ensure that actions
are initiated, developed and sustained in all countries to promote the
recognition, assessment and mitigation of physical, chemical and biological
hazards, and also of social hazards that threaten children's health
and quality of life.
WE COMMIT OURSELVES
To developing active
and innovative national and international networks with colleagues, in
partnership with governmental, nongovernmental and international organizations
for the promotion and protection of children's environmental health, and
urge WHO to support our efforts in all areas, especially in the following
four:
- PROTECTION
AND PREVENTION –
To strengthen existing programmes and initiate new mechanisms to
provide all children with access to clean water and air, adequate sanitation,
safe food and appropriate shelter:
- Reduce or eliminate
environmental causes and triggers of respiratory diseases and asthma
, including exposure to indoor air pollution from the use of biomass
fuels and environmental tobacco smoke.
- Reduce or eliminate
exposure to toxic metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic, to fluoride,
and to anthropogenic hazards such as toxic wastes, pesticides and persistent
organic pollutants.
- Reduce or eliminate
exposure to known and suspected anthropogenic carcinogens, neurotoxicants,
developmental and reproductive toxicants, immunotoxicants and naturally
occurring toxins.
- Reduce the incidence
of diarrhoeal disease through increased access to safe water and sanitation
and promotion of initiatives to improve food safety.
- Reduce the incidence
of accidents, injuries and poisonings, as well as exposure to noise,
radiation, microbiological and other factors by improving all environments
where children spend time, in particular at home and at school.
- Commit to international
efforts to avert or slow global environmental changes, and also take
action to lessen the vulnerability of populations to the impact of such
changes.
- HEALTH CARE
AND RESEARCH – To
promote the recognition, assessment and study of environmental factors
that have an impact on the health and development of children:
- Establish centres
to address issues related to children's environmental health.
- Develop and implement
cooperative multidisciplinary research studies in association with centres
of excellence, and promote the collection of harmonized data and their
dissemination.
- Incorporate children's
environmental health into the training for health care providers and
other professionals, and promote the use of the environmental history.
- Seek financial and
institutional support for research, data collection, education, intervention
and prevention programmes.
- Develop risk assessment
methods that take account of children as a special risk group.
- EMPOWERMENT
AND EDUCATION – To
promote the education of children and parents about the importance of
their physical environment and their participation in decisions that
affect their lives, and to inform parents, teachers and caregivers and
the community in general on the need and means to provide a safe, healthy
and supportive environment to all children:
- Provide environmental
health education through healthy schools and adult education initiatives.
- Incorporate lessons
on health and the environment into all school curricula
- Empower children to
identify potential risks and solutions.
- Impart environmental
health expertise to educators, curriculum designers and school administrators.
- Create and disseminate
to families and communities culturally relevant information about the
special vulnerability of children to environmental threats and practical
steps to protect children.
- Teach families and
the community to identify environmental threats to their children, to
adopt practices that will reduce risks of exposure and to work with
local authorities and the private sector in developing prevention and
intervention programmes.
- ADVOCACY
– To advocate and
take action on the protection and promotion of children's environmental
health at all levels, including political, administrative and community
levels:
- Use lessons learned
to prevent environmental illness in children, for example by promoting
legislation for the removal of lead from all gasoline, paints, water
pipes and ceramics, and for the provision of smoke-free environments
in all public buildings.
- Sensitize decision-makers
to the results of research studies and observations of community workers
and primary health care providers that need to be accorded high priority
to safeguard children's health.
- Promote environmental
health policies that protect children.
- Raise the awareness
of decision-makers and potential donors about known environmental threats
to children's health and work with them and other stakeholders to allocate
necessary resources to implement interventions.
- Work with the media
to disseminate information on core children's environmental health issues
and locally relevant environmental health problems and potential solutions.
For all
those concerned about the environmental health of children, the time
to translate knowledge into action is now.
Bangkok, 7 March 2002 |
