Children's Environmental Health International Initiatives
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
You're receiving this newsletter because you have subscribed to the Healthy Environments for Children Alliance Children’s Environmental Health International Initiatives This is an international mailing list provided by WHO and UNEP dedicated to promoting healthy environments for children October 2011 Children’s Health and the CHILDREN’S Environment - Training package ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH for health care providers NEWS A growing body of evidence shows that Press Releases environmental risk factors have an impact UN experts target toxic flame retardant on the health and development of fetus, HBCD for control under global chemicals infants, children and adolescents and on treaty their future. It is estimated that more than The Persistent Organic Pollutants Review one fourth of the global disease burden is Committee took action this week to help due to modifiable environmental factors, eliminate Persistent Organic Pollutants and that in children, this proportion rises to (POPs) from the global marketplace and one third of the global pediatrics disease protect human health and the burden (WHO, Preventing disease through environment. The Committee adopted healthy environments, 2006). In response more than a dozen decisions, including to the training and information needs one recommending that the chemical expressed by countries and NGOs, WHO hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) be has developed materials to be used by the listed under the Convention. UNEP health and environmental sectors in order (19/10/11) to build their capacities in the area of children's health and the environment. Making the Economic Case for Greening Cities Improved planning and more intelligent What is the WHO Training Package for management of cities across the Health Care Providers? developed and developing world could play a key role in growing economies, boosting social improvements and A collection of modules with internationally reducing humanity's environmental harmonized information and peer-reviewed footprint. Findings from the Green materials to enable health care workers to Economy report of the UN Environment be trained, and also to become trainers of Programme (UNEP) indicate that current their peers and colleagues. The modules patterns of urban development could be include extensive notes and references, costing countries over three per cent of case studies and self-evaluation tools, GDP as a result of congestion to welfare backed up by manuals and guidelines. A costs. UNEP (13/10/11) selected team of experienced WHO highlights global underinvestment in professionals from over 15 countries, the mental health care International Paediatric Association (IPA) One in four people will require mental and selected NGOs are participating in its health care at some point in their lives but preparation. in many countries only two per cent of all health sector resources are invested in This initiative was made possible thanks to mental health services. Average global the financial support provided by the US spending on mental health is still less than EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection, US$ 3 per capita per year. In low income that also made available useful data, countries, expenditure can be as little as graphics and text for the modules. The UK US$0.25 per person per year, according Department of Health also supported this to the WHO's Mental Health Atlas 2011, initiative. released on World Mental Health Day. WHO (7/10/11) New Modules published this month include: Royal Launch in Bhutan for New Ozone and Climate Plan Biomarkers and human The Royal Government of Bhutan has biomonitoring unveiled a new commitment to phase out ozone-depleting substances. HCFCs in Children and neurodevelopmental Bhutan are primarily used in air- behavioral intellectual disorders conditioning and refrigeration units in its Children and chemicals large industrial establishments, hotels and Developmental environmental resorts, corporate offices, governmental origins of disease sectors, as well as domestic servicing Endocrine disorders and sector. UNEP (7/10/11) environment Immune systems and environment UNEP Joins 7 Billion Actions Campaign to Mycotoxins Show Opportunities and Challenges at Heavy metals and children Population Milestone Second hand tobacco smoke and The world population is set to hit 7 billion children on 31 October 2011, bringing into sharp focus the challenges of ensuring Link to WHO website for more overview sustainable development and a fair share information of the planet's resources for a growing global population. The United Nations Link to the training Modules Environment Programme (UNEP) has joined the 7 Billion Actions campaign to encourage individuals, governments, businesses and organisations to take positive actions towards creating a more sustainable world for 7 billion inhabitants. UNEP (6/10/11) In the Media Lead poisoning in 2,000 Nigerian children JOURNAL ARTICLES Illegal gold mining has left at least 2,000 children with lead poisoning in several northern Nigerian villages, where 400 Air Pollution children have already died from contamination. Agence France-Presse (29/10/11) Traffic-related air toxics and preterm birth: a population-based case-control study in Los Angeles County, California Lack of outdoor play linked to short- Numerous studies have associated air sighted children pollutant exposures with adverse birth The time children spend outdoors could outcomes, but there is still relatively little be linked to a reduced risk of being short- information to attribute effects to specific sighted, research suggests. BBC emission sources or air toxics. The authors (26/10/11) used three exposure data sources to examine risks of preterm birth in Los BPA in pregnant women may cause Angeles women when exposed to high behavior problems in girls levels of traffic-related air pollutants - When pregnant women eat foods that are including specific toxics - during pregnancy. stored in cans or packing containing BPA, Odds of preterm birth increased 6-21% per their unborn child's exposure to the inter-quartile range increase in entire chemical could lead to behavioral pregnancy exposures to organic carbon problems by age 3, according to a study (OC), elemental carbon (EC), benzene, and published in the journal Pediatrics. CNN diesel, biomass burning and ammonium (24/10/11) nitrate PM2.5, and 50% per inter-quartile increase in polycyclic aromatic Autism diagnoses growing by 10 to 17 hydrocarbons (PAHs); these pollutants were percent annually positively correlated and clustered together One in 110 American children are living in a factor analysis. Associations with land with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), use regression (LUR) exposure metrics based on the most recently published were weaker (3-4% per inter-quartile range estimates from the Centers for Disease increase). These analyses provide Control and Prevention (CDC). Boys are additional evidence of traffic-related air four to five times more likely than girls to pollution's impact on preterm birth for be diagnosed with an ASD. Countless women living in Southern California and studies are investigating a number of indicate PAHs as a pollutant of concern that potential environmental contributors. should be a focus of future studies. Scranton Times-Tribune (23/10/11) Environmental Health UN close to ban on West's toxic waste exports One of the most persistent and insidious pollution problems visited by the West on the developing world has taken a huge step towards a permanent solution with a UN agreement to accelerate a global ban on dumping electronic and other Chemicals hazardous waste in poor countries. London Independent (23/10/11) Thyroid Dysfunction as a Mediator of Organochlorine Neurotoxicity in Preschool Sanford company brings pure water to Children India Exposure to organochlorine (OC) Out of the 1.2 billion people in India, about compounds can alter thyroid function in 750 million reside in rural villages. More humans, and hypothyroidism during early than 900,000 people die every year from life can adversely affect neurodevelopment the harmful effects of air pollution and in children. The authors studied the unhealthy drinking water, and many of the relationship between developmental OC country’s 400 million children younger exposures and thyroid function and the than 15 are malnourished and relationship between thyroid function and impoverished. Stanford Herald (23/10/11) subsequent neurodevelopment. They followed a population-based birth cohort of Early childhood conditions help shape 182 children up to 5.5 years of age. The DNA assessments included measuring Early childhood living conditions provoke concentrations of OC compounds in biological changes in genes leading to maternal pregnancy serum and milk, clinical DNA "memory" that can last a lifetime, an thyroid parameters in maternal and cord international study has found. Postmedia serum, and subsequent neuropsychological News (22/10/11) outcomes of the children. Resin triiodothyronine uptake ratio (T3RU) was How a healthy diet could see your great- also assessed as an estimate of the amount grandchildren benefit of thyroxine (T4)-binding globulin sites Scientists have discovered that a good unsaturated by T4: The T3RU is high in diet and lifestyle could help a person’s hyperthyroidism and low in hypothyroidism. children, grandchildren and even great- The authors report finding inverse grandchildren live longer. A team at monotonic associations between OC Stanford University in California found that exposure and T3RU,