Considering the degradation
of health of children due to environmental factors, Environmental
Health Risk Assessment Studies of children, including those
living in slums and polluted areas, with respect to water borne
diseases, lead contamination and respiratory ailments due to air
pollution including adverse impact on nervous system; Environmental
Health Studies for Children in the areas of having arsenic,
chromium mercury, fluoride, nitrates and pesticides contamination
including pre-natal ailments; Studies on Health Risks to Children
on account of indoor air pollution and last but not the least
creating Environmental Health Awareness amongst Children
specifically living in rural and slum areas and belonging to lower
strata of society, were recommended to be undertaken at a two-day
Conference on Environmental Health held in New Delhi recently.
The Conference was organized by the Ministry of Environment and
Forest in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, World
Bank, the USEPA, USAID and CII to sensitise the issues among the
Central and State Government and other stakeholders in the country
and also to come up with the consensus on the issues to act upon
and to evolve strategies for the protection of public health.
These recommendations
have been forwarded to Central & State Pollution Control Boards,
Ministries of Health and Labour, Indian Council of Medical Research
and State Departments of Environement, Health & Labour for
implementation.
The Conference also
outlined various precautionary measures for protection of health
against air pollution, noise pollution, electromagnetic radiations,
water pollution and hazardous waste. It also recommended that
the Environmental Health Cell of Ministry of Environment &
Forest to carry out the programmes and activities pertaining to
environmental health by interacting with Ministries of Health,
Industry, Labour, Urban Affairs etc. besides Central & State
Pollution Control Boards and other connected Institutions. It
also emphasized the need to modify the existing record and registration
systems in the medical treatment in the hospitals for protection
of public health against environmental pollution.
