5th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health

The children are continually exposed in toxic substances and other environmental dangers that can influence their health. The economic crisis and socio-economic inequality between the countries, the climatic changes and the new dangers like endocrine disruptor of also nanotechnology, they create new challenges for effective prevention of illnesses of environmental explanation. In a world level, the Organization of Health, WHO, appreciates that 25% of illnesses are related with environmental conditions and ARE POSSIBLE TO BE ANTICIPATED.

Having these in mind, in 10-12 of March was organised in Parma of Italy the 5th Ministerial Conference on the Environment and the Health '' Protecting children's health in a changing environment'', from the European Office of World Organization of Health (WHO).  The basic priorities which were discussed are:

a) the Action PLans of Environment and Children's Health: the evaluation of  their effectiveness and reaffirmation of will for support of their application.

b) the confrontation of the socio-economic's and other inequalities' repercussions and also the change of CLimate in Health.

The session was completed with the subscription of relative Statement by the Ministers of Health and Environment and the European Committee, amining at the confrontation of the above challenges. The Statement reaffirmed the engagement for intensification of action for effective protection of Children's Health and reduction of illnesses of environmental explanation in an also altered environment, because of the climatic changes.

Our country was represented by the Minister of Health, Dr. Christo Patsalidi, who was officially invited in the panel ''Applying the Action Plan for the Environment and Children's Health''. The Minister was accompanied by the President of the National Committee on Environment and Children's Health, Dr. Stella Kanna-Michaelidou, as a member of the official delegation and the First Medical Functional, Dr. Andrea Polyneiki.

Cyprus had the chance to present the concretisation of the National Action Plan (2004-2009), which coordinates the National Committee and also to  exchange precious experiences, which will contribute in the planning of the new National Plan (2011-2014) as well as the Action Plan of Cyprus for the Confrontation of Repercussions of CLimatic Changes in our Health.