Recommendations for Integrating Environment and Human Health into Science, Education, Policy and Practice

Recognizing the need to improve the environmental knowledge of health scientists and professionals, and the health knowledge of environmental scientists and professionals over 800 hundred scientists, students, practitioners and leaders in environment and health gathered in February 2007 at National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment: Integrating Environment and Human Health in Washington DC and outlined a range of strategies and activities for integrating environment and health in science, education, policy and practice. Recommendations were developed in 24 breakout sessions addressing decisionmaking, research, and education, information and communication. Topics included: Culture, and Well-being, Risk, Population, Gender, and Justice, The Natural Environment, Built Environment, and Social Environment; Water; Oceans, and Human Health, Biodiversity, Emerging Infectious Disease; Climate and other Global Changes; Children's Mental Development, Reproductive Health; Energy and Air Quality, Community-Based Health: Incorporating Social Sciences and Humanities, Medical Geology and Physical Sciences, Ecology and Epidemiology; Ecological and Human Health Risk Assessment; Health Professionals' Education and Environmental Education; Journalists and Mass Media, Information Technology, Designing for Complementarities among Programs; Measuring Outcomes and Health Impact Assessment. Common themes included: teaching and applying systems thinking, development and modification of curriculum, trans-disciplinary research, computer modeling, emphasis on underserved and neglected populations, public communication, cross-agency and cross-sectoral partnerships, and tools such as a national integrated environmental and public health database and report card. This presentation will summarize these strategies, the specific action items identified to overcome existing barriers for successful implementation of these strategies, and the progress to date.