Improving Global Environmental Health in the Americas through NIEHS Collaboration

The increasing burden of chronic, non-communicable diseases, in conjunction with the growing The increasing burden of chronic, non-communicable diseases as well as the growing awareness of the impacts of global environmental change on health, have underscored the importance of taking a global approach to environmental public health. The US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), recently designated as a WHO Collaborating Center for Environmental Sciences, intends to use this new formal partnership with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), to share scientific knowledge and improve health in the Americas and around the world.

The NIEHS Collaborating Centre will focus research translation and communications efforts on 5 areas of environmental health:  electronic waste, children’s environmental health, climate change and human health, the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) and the health impacts of indoor air pollution. The Center plans to leverage the extensive knowledge of NIEHS researchers and grantees to increase understanding and awareness of the role of the environment in health and disease and to develop effective interventions.

This presentation will focus on collaboration between NIEHS and PAHO/WHO, as well as the possibilities for further collaboration among researchers, collaborating Centres and health officials in the Americas. The health impacts and opportunities for further collaboration on each of the 5 focus areas area will be described and case studies of recent collaborations included. Recent collaborative efforts in environmental health include the creation of a Children’s Environmental Health Collaborating Centres Network, a series of webinars and meetings exploring health indicators for sustainable development and informational materials on the health impacts of climate change.