TWO-DAY CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT PLAN TO BE FORMULATED

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A two-day conference on environmental health will be organised in New Delhi by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in association with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Beginning tomorrow the conference will deliberate on linkages between environment and health with a view to evolve strategies for the protection of public health. Environmental health comprises those aspects of human health including quality of life that are determined by environmental factors.

The Committee on Environment and Health commissioned by the Ministry of Environment and Forests has submitted its report in May this year. The Ministry is contemplating to develop an Environmental Health Management Plan and to enhance the institutional capacities in the country to assess environmental health priorities, monitor environmental health trends and to assess the impact of environmental and developmental initiatives on the community. Since environmental health is an inter-disciplinary and inter-agency subject, the two-day conference is aimed at sensitising the concerned central and state government departments and other stakeholders.

Senior experts and officials from WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, United States Environment Protection Agency, USAID, Health Effects Institute of USA besides scientists and officials from the central and state pollution control boards, Ministries of Health and Labour and national medical and research institutions will participate in the two-day deliberations.

The Union Environment and Forests Minister, Shri T.R.Baalu will inaugurate the conference on Wednesday, November 20, 2002.