International Conference
on Environmental Threats to the Health of Children:
Hazards and Vulnerability, Bangkok, 3-7 March 2002
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
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