Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE)
The Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) is an initiative led by the World Health Organization Regional Office (WHO) for Europe. It was launched in June 2004 and signed by all 53 member states of the WHO European Region, including the UK. The aim of the CEHAPE is to protect the health of children and young people from environmental hazards.
The Health Protection Agency has been commissioned by the Department of Health, on behalf of the Interdepartmental Steering Group on Environment and Health, to evaluate children’s environmental health in the United Kingdom (UK) and develop recommendations as to how the UK can best meet its commitments under CEHAPE and further protect children’s health.
A Children's Environment and Health Strategy for the United Kingdom
A Children’s Environment and Health Strategy for the UK was published on 24 March 2009. The Strategy provides a brief overview of children's health in relation to their environment in the UK and recommends areas that should be taken forward in order to protect and promote children's health and to meet the UK's commitment to CEHAPE. A copy of the Strategy can be downloaded by clicking on the link below:
A Children's Environment and Health Strategy for the United Kingdom (PDF, 2.9 MB)
This plan commits countries to the development of national Children’s Environment and Health Action Plans to protect the health of children and young people from environmental hazards. CEHAPE consists of four Regional Priority Goals covering: water, sanitation and health; accidents, injuries, obesity and physical activity; respiratory health, indoor and outdoor air pollution; and chemical, physical and biological hazards.
Copies of the report are available on request from: cehape@hpa.org.uk
The development of the Strategy was informed by a public consultation and a workshop in Spring 2008. The consultation documents are available in the HPA's consultation documents archive. Reports summarising the responses received as part of the consultation process, including a summary of the views of children and young people, and the workshop, are available below:
Children's Environment and Health Strategy for the UK - Consultation Workshop (PDF, 3.7 MB)
A Children's Environment and Health Strategy for the UK - Youth Participation Report (PDF, 496 KB)
Other activities
Development of children’s environment and health indicators
The Health Protection Agency has been involved in the development of a core set of children's environment and health indicators. The aim of the indicators is to provide a means to describe the burden and distribution of childhood disease and environmental influences on child health within a region, and to provide surveillance data to inform the development of and monitor the impact of interventions. Consultation with key partners on the development of this pilot was undertaken in autumn 2008 and the document is currently being finalised for publication in late 2009. Although the indicators toolkit has not yet been formally made available to all regions in England and Wales, some regions have proactively begun using it to undertake baseline assessments in their regions. It is anticipated that the toolkit will be made available for use by all regions in England and Wales before the 5th WHO Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in 2010.
Children's Exposure to Lead in the UK - Is there still a problem? Workshop, London, 17 July 2008
The HPA hosted a workshop to bring together policy makers and experts to assess the public health significance of lead exposure in relation to child health in the UK, discuss whether exisitng public health measures protect children from exposure to lead and establish future priorites. The workshop highlighted on-going work in relation to lead in a number of areas, including work in the US, clinical poisonings, lead in drinking water and soil and highlighted on-going and planned research. A workshop report is currently in preparation and will be published later in 2009.
Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe – WHO Regional Office for Europe International Workshop, Oxford, 5-6 March 2007
An international workshop was hosted to bring together experts to further develop tables of child-specific interventions in support of CEHAPE. The meeting discussed: the methods to be applied in agreeing interventions; the list of interventions to be scrutinised to determine their effectiveness to improve children’s environmental health; and the corresponding literature that needs to be reviewed. The workshop agreed a methodology to use to evaluate the effectiveness of the actions and reviewed and updated a list of child-specific actions relevant to reducing risks of disease arising from exposures to chemicals, ionising and non-ionising radiation and noise during pregnancy, childhood and adolescence.
Publications
Reports
A Children's Environment and Health Strategy for the United Kingdom (PDF, 2.9 MB)
This plan commits countries to the development of national Children’s Environment and Health Action Plans to protect the health of children and young people from environmental hazards. CEHAPE consists of four Regional Priority Goals covering: water, sanitation and health; accidents, injuries, obesity and physical activity; respiratory health, indoor and outdoor air pollution; and chemical, physical and biological hazards.
Children's Environment and Health Action Plan. A Summary of Current Activities which Address Children's Environment and Health Issues within the UK. Chilton: HPA. 2007.
Heatlh Protection in the 21st Century. Understanding the Burden of Disease; Preparing for the Future. London: HPA. 2005.
Supporting documents
Children's Environment and Health Strategy for the UK - Consultation Workshop (PDF, 3.7 MB)
A Children's Environment and Health Strategy for the UK - Youth Participation Report (PDF, 496 KB)Regional Priority Goal I: Water, Sanitation and Health (PDF, 145 KB)
Regional Priority Goal II: Accidents, Injuries, Obesity and Physical Activity (PDF, 542 KB)
Regional Priority Goal III: Respiratory Health - Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution (PDF, 374 KB)
Regional Priority Goal IV: Chemical, Physical and Biological Hazards (PDF, 981 KB)
Published articles
The Children's Environment and Health Strategy for the United Kingdom (PDF, 657 KB) Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report, Issue 15, Sept 2009
Putting Children and Young People First (PDF, 151 KB) Health Protection Matters, Issue13, Spring 2009
Developing a Children's Environment and Health Strategy for the United Kingdom - a progress update (PDF, 49 KB) Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report, Issue 12, May 2008
Developing a Children's Environment and Health Strategy for the United Kingdom (PDF, 54 KB) Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report, Issue 10, Sept 2007
Posters
A Children's Environment and Health Strategy for the United Kingdom (PDF, 667 KB)
Developing a Children's Environment and Health Strategy for the UK (PDF, 87 KB)
Regional Priority Goal I: Water, Sanitation and Health (PDF, 4.6 MB)
Regional Priority Goal II: Accidents, Injuries, Obestiy and Physical Activity (PDF, 11.9 MB)
Regional Priority Goal III: Respiratory Health - Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution (PDF, 7.9 MB)
Regional Priority Goal IV: Chemical, Physical and Biological Hazards (PDF, 2.1 MB)
Other relevant documents
WHO (2004). Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe. Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health. Budapest, Hungary, 23-25 June 2004. (external link) (PDF, 718 kB)
WHO (2005). Children’s Health and the Environment. A Global Perspective. Geneva, Switzerland, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. (external link) (PDF, 183 kB)
External links
Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe, World Health Organization
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Children, Schools and Families
World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
