2. CEHAPE Awards 2007 - Environmental-friendly measures ... · latrines with a new indoor facility...

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CEHAPE Awards Environmental-friendly measures that improve child health The Best Practice Awards of the Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) were presented to winners, as part of the World Health Organization's Pan European Environment and Health process, at The Inter-governmental Mid-term Review Conference, Vienna Wednesday 13 June 2007

Transcript of 2. CEHAPE Awards 2007 - Environmental-friendly measures ... · latrines with a new indoor facility...

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CEHAPE AwardsEnvironmental-friendly measures that improve child health

The Best Practice Awards of the Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) werepresented to winners, as part of the World Health Organization's Pan European Environment and Health process, at

The Inter-governmental Mid-term Review Conference, ViennaWednesday 13 June 2007

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Winnersand nominees

Category 1Water and sanitation

Community acts to make drinking water safeWomen for a Clean Future, Romania

School creates model toiletsArmenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment

(AWHHE)

Clean toilets: “It is not a luxury – It is a human right”Earth Forever Foundation, Bulgaria

Category 2Accidents and injury

Mobility managed for children’s healthClimate Alliance Austria

Measures enforced for safe journeys to schoolPortuguese Association for Child Safety Promotion

Paediatricians offer parents “Child safety tips”Grosse schützen Kleine (Safe Kids Austria)

Category 3Air pollution

Doctors who stop smoking before it startsPaediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units

(PEHSU), Spain

“I walk like a grown up and don’t travel alone!”“Cremona of the Kid’s Laboratory” in the Municipality of

Cremona and ISDE-Cremona, Italy

Authorities check toxics in nurseriesPublic Hygiene in Hainaut

Category 4Chemicals

Public health leaders promote “sun-safe”Western-Transdanubian Regional Institute of NationalPublic Health and Medical Officers’ Service, Hungary

Medical investigation keeps focus on hotspotChapaevsk Medical Association, Russia

Bio-monitoring used to highlight lead levelsGeorgian Environmental and Biological Monitoring

Association

Category 5Youth participation

Young Norwegians turn their city greenMunicipality of Ålesund

Teenagers monitor harm from waste in the DanubeDanube Delta Teens, Romania

Youth network at their own “Environment Days”Youth Environment Network, Austria

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Environment-friendly action to protectchildren’s health

known to the authorities. In a polluted city in northern Italy,the “piedibus” system is giving children an opportunity towalk to school and improving the air in surrounding streets.

Protection from hazardous chemicals and physical andbiological agents – this group of winners addressed risingrates of skin cancer in a “sun-safe” education initiative inHungary, blood “biomonitoring” for lead to raise awarenessof the need for lead-free petrol in Georgia, and datagathering on abnormalities among children living nearchemical plants in Russia.

Youth participation - the final three winners demonstratedwhat young people in Norway, Romania and Austria aredoing for themselves to improve their environments forhealth. Projects included a children’s city council chairedby the mayor, the promotion of a video on the healthproblems associated with waste in the Danube River, andannual “youth” Environment Days – the theme of whichwas “Health and environment” in 2006 taking the CEHAPEthemes.

We would like to thank the judges for the expertise andtime they provided and the Austrian Federal Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Managementfor providing the financial support. We also take thisopportunity to congratulate all 15 winners. We consider it aprivilege to have the opportunity to share their winningactivities for children’s health and environment.

Finally, we would like to urge governments andfoundations to invest in a programme that ensures thatsuccessful and effective projects like these can bemade widely known and replicated throughout thecountries of the European region and beyond.

Génon JensenExecutive DirectorHealth andEnvironment Alliance

We were delighted earlier this year to learn that the Austriangovernment was willing to support an award contest forchildren’s environment and health. The winners would beinvited to the World Health Organization’s inter-governmental meeting in Vienna, 12-15 June 2007.

The plans, eligibility and judges for the competition wereagreed in March, and by the end of April, over 100contestants had submitted completed entry forms.

The coordinating groups – Health and Environment Alliance(HEAL), Eco-Forum and Women in Europe for a CommonFuture (WECF), and International Society of Doctors forthe Environment (ISDE) Austria – were impressed with thestrength and quality of the projects submitted. The entrantsrepresented 32 out of the 53 countries in the WHOEuropean region. The judges shared our assessment ofthe quality of the entries. “These projects are able to clearlydemonstrate how environmental action can be effective inprotecting children’s health,” said Victoria Elias, Director ofWWF-Russia and a judge for projects about reducingchildhood diseases resulting from hazardous chemicals andphysical and biological agents.

Choice of categoriesThe five award categories reflected the four regional prioritygoals of the Children’s Environment and Health Action Plansfor Europe (CEHAPE) plus a fifth theme, “Youthparticipation”.

Water and sanitation – winners focus on community clean-up action and education, especially around water supplyand toilets in schools in Romania, Armenia and Bulgaria.Two projects take advantage of a low-cost, eco-technologyknown as “ecosanitation”.

Protection from injuries and increased mobility – oneof these winning projects has provided 500 schools andteachers in Austria with materials to help children transportthemselves to school more safely; in Portugal, anotherproject works with local police and media to monitorinfringements of existing safety legislation, and a thirdsupports Austrian paediatricians who are providing parentswith information on how to avoid injuries among smallchildren in and around the home.

Reducing respiratory disease and asthma - air pollutionboth indoors and outside were the focus of the three winnersin this category. In Spain, more than 12,000 students andparents have received education on the importance ofavoiding exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. In theNetherlands, moulds and dust mites were identified in 30%of nurseries offering all-day care and the findings made

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CEHAPE Award category 1:

“We aim to prevent andsignificantly reduce the morbidityand mortality arising fromgastrointestinal disorders andother health effects, by ensuringthat adequate measures are takento improve access to safe andaffordable water and adequatesanitation for all children.”CEHAPE Regional Priority Goal I

Community acts to make drinking water safe

In Romania, seven million people lack access to safedrinking water. Women for a Clean Future have completedtwo water and sanitation projects in the village of GarlaMare, where human waste and pesticide concentrations inwater are dangerously high. One of the results of nitratepollution of drinking water is methaemoglobinaemia, or“blue baby” disease, which turns babies’ and children’s skina bluish colour.

The group’s first task was to discuss with the villagers thehealth risks they faced from inadequate sanitation andpolluted drinking water – and what steps could be taken toavoid it. An “ecosan” toilet and “waterless urinals” wereinstalled to help reduce water pollution from humanexcrement. Water filters were fitted in schools andcommunity cleaning of some wells was organised. Villagerswere also encouraged to test the well water for safety andmake known the results.

Blue baby disease no longer occurs in the project villages,and children have clean drinking water and safe sanitation.Community organisation means that interest in ecologicalsanitation is high and villagers have become active inenvironmental campaigns.

Project: Sustainable Development for AllOrganisation: Femei pentru un Viitor Curat (Women for aClean Future)Representative: Angela GarlaContact details: [email protected]

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School creates model toilets

With hundreds of children suffering from water-bornediseases each year in Armenia, addressing the problem ofdirty toilets and open drains is crucial. Health centre staff inthe rural areas regularly report cases of intestinal parasiticinfections and outbreaks of diarrhoea among children,especially in summer.

The Armenian Women for Health and HealthyEnvironment (AWHHE) has helped a 350-pupil school inthe village of Hayanist to replace smelly and dirty outdoorlatrines with a new indoor facility containing three waterlessurinals, seven urine-diverting toilets and six wash-handbasins. The urine is piped away to an underground reservoirand the faeces are composted into dry soil underground.

AWHHE believes the project has already made an impact.The pupils using the toilets are washing their hands withsoap, and children infected with parasites are being treated.Thanks to workshops and posters, the pupils, teachers andparents appreciate the appropriateness of ecologicalsanitation, known as “ecosan”, especially for areas wherethere is no central water supply and no adequate sanitationsystem. Other schools, and some households, are set tofollow the example by building their own toilets based onthe ecosan system.

Clean toilets: “It is not a luxury – It is a humanright”

Dilapidated toilets in schools are a burning issue in Bulgaria.Earth Forever Foundation decided to address this problemas part of a civil education initiative involving students,teachers and parents. The aim was to raise awareness ofthe need for decent toilets to improve health and the dignityof children in Bulgaria.

Activities involved providing materials to raise theawareness of the importance of clean toilets and handwashing facilities, and the setting up of committees toorganise improvements and maintenance.

Approximately 1,900 students and 280 school staff and theirfamilies received information about children’s rights to safewater, adequate sanitation and the health risks associatedwith dirty toilets, which often cause children to avoid them.By the end of the project, the entire group had soap andwarm water in the school toilets and almost half the toiletshave been renovated thanks to the work of the teacher-parent committees.

Project: Clean toilets - a human rightOrganisation: Earth Forever FoundationRepresentative: Diana IskrevaContact details: [email protected],www.earthforever.org

Project: Ecological sanitation in rural ArmeniaOrganisation: Armenian Women for Health and HealthyEnvironment (AWHHE)Representative: Elena ManvelyanContact: [email protected], www.awhhe.am

Water and sanitation

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CEHAPE Award category 2:

“We aim to prevent andsubstantially reduce healthconsequences from accidents andinjuries and pursue a decrease inmorbidity from lack of adequatephysical activity, by promotingsafe, secure and supportivehuman settlements for allchildren.”CEHAPE Regional Priority Goal II

Mobility managed for children’s health

Parents are worried about children walking or cycling toschool so they take them in the car. This adds to the trafficon the roads thus causing a vicious cycle. Climate AllianceAustria, working within the Climate Change Initiative ofthe Austrian Environment Ministry, wants to break thisdownward spiral for the benefit of children and climateprotection.

The project is providing a basic package of information andteaching materials for 500 interestedschools or teachers in Austria. Additionally, fifty schools arebenefiting from a more intensive programme. Over thecourse of a year, a mobility manager helps the children,teachers and parents find local solutions to their problems.This may be achieved via road safety measures orinnovative approaches such as roundtables with children,community members and transport company staff.The results of the project include better options for childrenmaking their way to school. There is less car traffic aroundthe schools and more awareness of children’s need forphysical activity, clean air and more pleasant journeys toschool.

Project: Mobility management for schoolsOrganisation: Climate Alliance AustriaRepresentative: Maria HawleContact details: [email protected],www.klimabuendnis.at

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Accidents and injury

Measures enforced for safe journeys to school

Road crashes are the largest cause of child and adolescentinjury death in Portugal, yet 80% of children travelling toschool in cars were found not to be benefiting from a childrestraint system. According to the Portuguese Associationfor Child Safety Promotion, although legislation is in place,enforcement is poor.

Working with the “Safe School” department of the policeand other local institutions, the Portuguese Association forChild Safety Promotion launched a programme to increasethe enforcement of existing legislation. First, informationwas provided to primary and secondary students and theirparents in 11 schools in Faro. The children watched a video,played games, visited a simulated road accident and mettraffic accident victims in the local hospitals. Second, theyorganised “enforcement days” as joint ventures betweenthe police and the students before and after school.

Results were impressive. The rate of use of child restraintsystems went up from 20% to 89% in the seven primaryschools involved. On the day of the campaign, 243 reportsof infringements were made prompting local presscoverage.

Project: Safe Road to School in FaroOrganisation: Portuguese Association for Child SafetyPromotionRepresentative: Elsa RochaContact details: [email protected] , www.apsi.org.pt

Paediatricians offer parents “Child safety tips”

In Austria, half of all childhood injuries occur among youngchildren in and around the home – yet doctors receive nomedical training in injury prevention counselling.

Grosse schützen Kleine (Safe Kids Austria) thereforelobbied for regulations to require doctors to counsel parentson injury prevention while researching existing educationalmaterials and programmes and working with paediatriciansto develop safety manuals, guidelines and tips.

Today, 80% of all families with children from birth to 6 yearsof age in Austria benefit from the Paediatrician InjuryCounselling Programme. A recent survey showed that 70%of doctors are regularly handing out sheets from their padsduring child consultations. The survey also showed thatparents are benefiting because they are not always awareof the greatest risks.

In 2006, the programme was identified as an example inthe “good practice” guide of the European Child SafetyAlliance (www.childsafetyeurope.org). The model has beenadapted for counselling programmes in Cyprus, CzechRepublic and USA.

Project: Paediatric Injury Prevention CounsellingOrganisation: Grosse schützen Kleine (Safe Kids Austria)Representative: Gudula BrandmayrContact details: www.grosse-schuetzen-kleine.at ,[email protected]

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CEHAPE Award category 3:

“We aim to prevent and reducerespiratory disease due to outdoorand indoor air pollution, therebycontributing to a reduction in thefrequency of asthmatic attacks, inorder to ensure that children canlive in an environment with cleanair.”CEHAPE Regional Priority Goal III

Doctors who stop smoking before it starts

Spain has one of the highest rates of tobacco prevalencein Europe. In Murcia and Valencia, well over a third of 14 to18 year olds say they have smoked tobacco during thepast month.

The Paediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units(PEHSU) in Murcia and Valencia decided to try and reduceexposure to tobacco smoke by targeting the prevention ofsmoking initiation in schools. The project providesaudiovisual materials on the tobacco epidemic, the harmfuleffects of smoking, and information on how to give upsmoking. The project involves questionnaires and visitsfrom parents to the San Jorge school in Murcia and theSan José Jesuitas school in Valencia to ensure that themessages reach the students’ homes.

The programme has reached approximately 12,000students and their parents. The intention is to see bothreductions in exposure to environmental tobacco smokeand fewer children taking up smoking. The aim is also toidentify students who will work as advocates for tobaccofree environments.

Project: School-based tobacco prevention programmeOrganisation: The Paediatric Environmental HealthSpecialty Unit (PEHSU), MurciaRepresentative: Ortega García, Juan AntonioContact details: [email protected], www.pehsu.org

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Air pollution

“I walk like a grown up and don’t travel alone!”

In the medium-size city of Cremona, Northern Italy, childrenface two critical problems if they want to move aboutcomfortably. One is that air pollution’s levels frequentlyexceed regulatory limits, and the other is that vehicle trafficmakes it hazardous to walk alone to school.

The “Cremona Kid’s Laboratory” in the Municipality ofCremona and ISDE-Cremona decided on a two-prongedapproach to promoting children’s independent mobility andenvironmental awareness while contributing to a reductionin atmospheric pollution, especially around schools. Theyorganise meetings with staff and parents on the “piedibus”(a group of children walking together accompanied by twoadults) and car pooling.

The group hopes that by reducing the number of cars onthe school route, the atmospheric pollution will fall andwalking to school will become safer and more pleasant.The wider aim is to encourage families to extend theprinciples of children’s safe and independent mobility andenvironmental awareness to other aspects of life.

Project: I walk like a grown-up and don't travel alone!Organisation: ISDE (International Society of Doctors for theEnvironment)-Cremona, Cremona Kid’s Laboratory(Municipality of Cremona), and ASL (Local Health Authority)-CremonaRepresentative: Federico BalestreriContact details: [email protected]

Authorities check for toxics in nurseries

A public health authority in Belgium is keen to learn moreabout the environmental health of young children in all-daynurseries. The concern was prompted by the “GreenAmbulance” programme which undertakes investigationsinside schools, nurseries and homes when an indoorenvironment is suspected to be the cause of a child’s illness.

Public Hygiene in Hainaut, an NGO linked to the regionalPublic Health Institute, gained the agreement of 46 out ofthe 50 nurseries in the Province of Hainaut for a study. Theteam took air samples to test for atmospheric humidity andtoxics, made a systematic search for moulds, dust mitesand dampness, and checked tap water for lead andLegionella. They also completed questionnaires withparents on children’s illnesses and medications.

The results showed that children in nurseries are exposedto a mixture of compounds that could be hazardous. About30% of nurseries had moulds and dust-mites, and the tapwater in 40% of the facilities contained Legionella and lead.The Legionella was a surprise finding and the team believesthat it may be responsible for a recent unusual respiratoryproblem in children. The medical community is beingalerted.

Project: Indoor environment quality in nursery centresOrganisation: Public Hygiene in HainautRepresentative: Marie-Christine DewolfContact details: [email protected]

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CEHAPE Award category 4:

“We commit ourselves to reducingthe risk of disease and disabilityarising from exposure tohazardous chemicals (such asheavy metals), physical agents(e.g. excessive noise) andbiological agents and tohazardous working environmentsduring pregnancy, childhood andadolescence.”CEHAPE Regional Priority Goal IV

Public health leaders promote “sun-safe”

The incidence of skin cancers is increasing worldwide,affecting younger and younger age groups. Habitsestablished in childhood can help protect against sunburnand decrease the risk of skin cancer during early and laterlife.

The Western-Transdanubian Regional Institute ofNational Public Health and Medical Officers’ Service inHungary joined a skin cancer prevention programmecoordinated in Rome to teach children “sun-safe behaviour”.

During 2004, more than 2,000 Hungarian children receivedinformation from the programme. First, questionnaires weredistributed in 20 primary schools in three cities. The resultswere analysed with the help of the Italian institute. Eachparticipant was sent his or her result in a letter just beforethe summer holidays. The key messages included thatthose with a sensitive skin complexion are most vulnerable,and that sunburn during childhood doubles the risk ofdeveloping malignant melanoma later in life.

Project: Public health leaders promote “sun-safe”Organisation: Western-Transdanubian Regional Institute ofNational Public Health and Medical Officers’ ServiceRepresentative: Katalin FehérContact details: [email protected]

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Chemicals

Bio-monitoring used to highlight lead levels

Lead concentrations in the air in Tblisi, Georgia’s capitalcity, are above recommended levels. In rush-hour traffic,levels rise higher with serious consequences for children’shealth. Yet, economic and social transformations takingplace in Georgia are slowing progress on the phasing outof lead in petrol.

The Georgian Environmental and Biological MonitoringAssociation (GEBMA) is raising awareness of the problemby organising the collection and analysis of existinginformation on air and blood levels in urban settings. Thework involves training groups in Tblisi, Batumi, Kutaisi andPoti to undertake blood sampling, analysis, monitoring, andhazard control.

GEBMA has transmitted the results of the monitoring anddisseminated information on measures to protect childrenfrom the harmful impact of lead to the public through anational seminar and regular meetings. Their materialsinclude booklets on the health concerns associated withlead, which also describe how to build support forprevention. The public also hears about the campaign workvia radio, TV and newspaper articles.

Project: Phase-out of leaded gazolineOrganisation: Georgian Environmental and BiologicalMonitoring AssociationRepresentative: Manana JuruliContact details: [email protected]

Medical investigation keeps focus on hotspot

Chapaevsk, 1,000 kilometres southeast of Moscow, isdefined as an “extremely polluted zone” along with 10 otherRussian towns and the Chernobyl region. Chemical plantsare the main source of human contamination. Dioxins,gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (l indane) andhexachlorobenzene (HCB) pollute the air, soil and water.

Sergeyev Oleg, chairman of Chapaevsk MedicalAssociation, has helped keep the problem on governmentand media agendas by making epidemiological studies andproviding treatment for 200 young boys sufferingabnormalities as a result of exposure to chemicals.

Dr Oleg provides feedback on his findings at meetings ofthe Eco-Club attended by members of the local community.He also provides dietary advice for those growing their cropsand raising cattle and chicken on contaminated land, andfishing in a chemically polluted river. His work and adviceis often featured in the media. His efforts also provide localgovernment with the arguments they need to help keep uppressure for continued work on the construction of achildren’s hospital in Chapaevsk.

Project: Persistent organochlorines in a Russian hotspotOrganisation: Chapaevsk Medical Association and partnersRepresentative: Sergeyev OlegContact details: [email protected]

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CEHAPE Award category 5:

Young Norwegians turn their city green

Environmentalists in Norway are convinced that involvingchildren and young people is the key to healthier and moresustainable living.

The Municipality of Ålesund is working with Ecoagentsin a campaign to promote children’s environmental rightsthat started in 2000. Known as “Children’s green cities”,the campaign demands children’s right to clean air, water,safe bicycle paths, and green areas where children canplay.

Since 2000, six Norwegian cities have joined the campaignand each has been made a “Children’s green city”. Thisyear, Ålesund is working hard to become the 7th “Children’sgreen city” in Norway.

Activities began in kindergartens and schools wherechildren were asked for their wishes for the environment. Atotal of 350 posters sent to the kindergartens and schoolscreated an opportunity for children to send in their ideas.From a combined “wish list”, the solutions to three requestswere debated in a children city council where the mayorpresided as chair. In June 2007, the environment minister is expected to visit Ålesund to present the “Children’s greencity” certificate.

Project: Green City AalesundOrganisation: Municipality of ÅlesundRepresentative: Christine RørvikContact details: [email protected] ,http://gronnbarneby.alesund.kommune.no

“We equally emphasize theimportance of the participation ofchildren and the need for theirinclusion in activities concerningthe health and environment ofchildren.”Ministerial Declaration, June 2004

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Youth participation

Teenagers monitor harm from waste in theDanube

Experience in two previous environmental projects hasshown a group of students in a village secondary school inthe Danube Delta that water is a problem affecting theirhealth. The “Danube Delta Teens” decided to continuetheir research and stimulate further thinking by making theirown video on the problems related to this major Europeanriver.

Known as “Waste in Water hurts our health – Danube DeltaTeens research their environment”, the project involvesmeasuring the quality of the water and soil and visits to thelocal meteorological station and doctor’s surgery to discussthe findings. The project’s short video shows the findingsand perspectives of the young people.

Not only has the project made the children themselves moreaware of the importance of clean water to their health andenvironment, it has also informed the local community.Soon, the video will be shown to communities in othercountries along the Danube River in the hope that it willmotivate further action to protect the river water.

Project: Danube Delta Teens research their environmentOrganisation: Danube Delta TeensRepresentative: Adnana Mihaela PatrascoiuContact details: [email protected]

Youth network at their own “EnvironmentDays”

Young people need their own events to learn about thedifferent approaches to environmental, health andsustainable development issues. Youth EnvironmentNetwork organises Youth Environment Days, known locallyas JUTA, with the strong involvement of young peoplethemselves.

The several days of events take place each year in theautumn. In 2006, the theme was “environment and health”,including the four Regional Priority Goals of the CEHAPE.More than 500 young people participated with more than20 environmental organisations offering workshops,excursions, sport and creative activities.

Last year, young people found new ways to work on healthand environment issues. Every year, those who attendincrease their communication and critical abilities andbecome part of a broad network of like-minded youngpeople in Austria. For the future, this means more mature,critical and democratically-trained adults.

Project: Youth Environment DaysOrganisation: Youth Environment NetworkRepresentative: Diana LeizingerContact details: [email protected],www.jugend-umwelt-netzwerk.at

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CEHAPE AwardsPan-European Children’s Environment and Health

The award judgesThis document contains a brief introduction to the judges who gave their time and expertise to choosing the winners andtwo runners-up in each of the five categories of awards. We take this opportunity to thank them all.

Category 1 – Water and sanitationRalf Otterpohl is a university professor in the field of civiland environmental engineering. He has been director ofthe Institute of Municipal and Industrial WastewaterManagement at the Hamburg University of Technology(TUHH) in Germany since 1998. He has specialised hisinstitute for research on reuse oriented sanitation conceptsfor rural and urban areas. He gained his doctorate in civilengineering at RWTH Aachen for research on computersimulation of wastewater treatment plants. Ralf Otterpohlis co-owner of a consultancy called Otterwasser GmbH,which specialises in simulation of large wastewatertreatment plants and ecological sanitation concepts, and ischair of a specialist group on sanitation (Ecosan) of theIWA, the International Water Association.

Ralf OtterpohlDirectorInstitute of Wastewater Management and Water ProtectionTUHH Hamburg University of Technology, GermanyTel: +49-40 42 878-3207Email: [email protected]/aww

Thor Axel Stenström currently holds three posts: head ofWater and Environmental Microbiology at the SwedishInstitute for Infectious Disease Control; Health and HygieneExpert at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI); and,Professor at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, withHealth, Water, Sanitation and Agriculture as prioriorityareas. His research focus is “Microbial risk assessment forsustainable water systems”, both in developed anddeveloping countries. He is active in capacity building ininternational courses, and has recently contributed to thenew “WHO Guidelines on the Safe Use of Wastewater,Excreta and Greywater”.

Thor Axel StenströmProfessor, Health and Hygiene ExpertEcoSanRes ProgrammeStockholm Environment Institute (SEI)Kräftriket 2BSE-10691 Stockholm, SWEDENTel:+46 8 6747469Mobile +46 73 7078556Email: [email protected]

Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control Tel: +46 8 4572469Tel: +46706476047 (mobile) Email: [email protected]

Category 2 – Accidents and injuryFrazer Goodwin is a policy and advocacy officer with theEuropean Public Health Alliance (EPHA). He is working onglobal health issues and has been with the organizationsince February 2007. Frazer received a Bachelor ofSciences degree in Human Ecology in the UK and then aMasters degree in the same subject in Belgium. He hassubsequently worked in development and environmentalNGOs, at the European Commission, and, immediately priorto his arrival at EPHA, in transport related NGOs.

Frazer GoodwinPolicy and Advocacy OfficerEuropean Public Health Alliance39-41 rue d’ArlonB1000 Brussels, BelgiumTel : +32 2 233 3873Fax: +32 2 233 3880Email : [email protected]

Joanne Vincenten is Director of the European Child SafetyAlliance, EuroSafe, based in Amsterdam, which works withEuropean country members and three internationalsocieties to enhance policy development, best practiceapplication and strategic alliances for child injury prevention.She is an expert advisor to the European Commission,World Health Organization and UNICEF and President ofthe European Public Health Alliance. Joanne, who isoriginally from Canada, has worked in the field of publichealth at the regional, national and international levels formore than 15 years with involvement in smoking prevention,heart health and injury prevention.

Joanne VincentenDirector European Child Safety AllianceEuroSafeP.O. Box 751691070 AD AmsterdamThe NetherlandsTel: +31 20 511 4529Fax: +31 20 511 4510E-mail: [email protected]

Category 3 – Air pollutionPeter Helms is a paediatrician with interests in the earlyorigins of lung disease, sport and exercise medicine, andthe safe and effective use of medicines in children. He ishead of the University of Aberdeen, Department of ChildHealth and clinical advisor to the UK Medicines and Health

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Care Products Regulation Agency. He acts as EuropeanSecretary of the European Respiratory Society and has alsoserved as Chair of the Respiratory and Allergy group of theEuropean Commission’s SCALE initiative that formed partof the EU’s response to CEHAPE.

Professor Peter J HelmsDept of Child HealthUniversity of AberdeenRoyal Aberdeen Children’s HospitalWestburn RoadAberdeen AB25 2ZGTel +44 (0) 1224 552471Fax+44 (0) 1224 551919Email: [email protected]

Gergely Simon is an environmental chemist working asan Assistant (environmental issues) to Gyula Hegyi, aHungarian PSE MEP member of the Committee onEnvironment, Public Health and Food Safety. He previouslyworked for an NGO called Clean Air Action Group inHungary where he was responsible for clean air andchemicals policies. He played an important role in the FourthMinisterial Conference on Environment and Health, whichtook place in Budapest in June 2004.

Gergely SimonAssistant to MEP Gyula HEGYIASP 13G114Brusselstel: [+32 (0) 228] 37829fax: [+32 (0) 228] 49829email: [email protected]>

Category 4 – ChemicalsVictoria Elias is currently Programme Director of WWFRussia and has chaired the Coordination Board of theEuropean ECO-Forum – a pan-European coalition ofenvironmental citizens’ organisations since 1999. Prior toworking with WWF, Victoria was a Deputy ExecutiveDirector of ECO-Accord, Russia, and coordinated projectson education for sustainable development, environmentalpolicy and public awareness. She represented ECO-Forumin various negotiations, working groups and other bodiesin particular in “Environment for Europe” and partly in theEnvironment and Health process. She holds a Ph.D. degreein Biology from Moscow state University.

Victoria Elias, Ph.D.,Programme DirectorWWF-Russia109240 Russia, Moscow,Nikoloyamskaya St., 19, bld.3Email: [email protected]: + 7 (495) 727 0939Fax: + 7 (495) 727 0938

Dr. Lilian Corra is a paediatrician/neonatologist with astrong background in environmental education andenvironmental issues. She founded the AsociaciónArgentina de Médicos por el Medio Ambiente (AAMMA) in

1992 and is President of the International Society of Doctorsfor the Environment (ISDE) (created in 1989) to whichAAMMA is linked. Dr Corra is also co-founder and memberof the International Coordinating Committee of theInternational Network on Children’s Health Environment andSafety (INCHES), created in 1998, and promoted by WHO,and a member of the Steering Committee of theInternational Pop’s Elimination Network (IPEN).

Lilian CorraAsociación Argentina de Médicos por el Medio Ambiente(AAMMA)ArgentinaEmail: [email protected]

Category 5 – Youth participationReka Prokai is a 22 year-old student ofenvironmental engineering, environmental managementand development of rural areas at the Szent IstvánUniversity School of Agricultural and EnvironmentalSciences, Hungary. Having taken part in the YouthParliament during the Ministerial Conference in Budapestin 2004, she was invited to be a participant at the CEHAPEYouth Workshop in Oslo. There, she was elected by theyouth participants to be one of two youth delegates to theCEHAPE Task Force until June 2007. Her intention is toset up Youth Council that would work to promote bothenvironment and health in Hungary.

Reka ProkaiPécsko ut 23/2Salgótarján3100 HungaryTel: +36 20 323 5745 .Email: [email protected] Cosima Pilz is an Educator and Mobility Consultant with adiploma in paediatrics from the Styrian Centre ofEnvironmental Education (Umwelt-Bildungs-ZentrumSteiermark) in Austria. She has managed projects intransport, mobility management and research and is anexpert in youth and school participation processes. Shepresented the Austrian initiative “Mobility Management inSchools” at the Fourth WHO Ministerial conference in June2004 and has since been coordinator of the CEHAPE-process in Austria on behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministryof Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and WaterManagement.

Cosima PilzUmwelt-Bildungs-Zentrum Steiermark (UBZ-Stmk.)Brockmanngasse 538010 Graz, AustriaTel: +43 31 16 83 54 04 7Fax: +43 31 16 81 79 08Email: [email protected]

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Facts fromCEHAPE Awards’contestants on

children’senvironmental

health

• In Romania, seven million people lack access to safedrinking water, according to Women for a CleanFuture.

• Road crashes are the largest cause of child andadolescent injury death in Portugal yet 80% of childrentravelling to school in cars were found not to bebenefiting from a child restraint system, according tothe Portuguese Association for Child SafetyPromotion.

• In Murcia and Valencia, Spain, well over a third of 14 to18 year olds say they have smoked tobacco during thepast month, according to the Paediatric EnvironmentalHealth Specialty Units (PEHSU) in the two cities.

• In Cremona, Northern Italy, air pollution’s levelsfrequently exceed regulatory limits, according toCremona Kid’s Laboratory, Municipality ofCremona, and ISDE-Cremona.

• The incidence of skin cancers is increasing worldwide,affecting younger and younger age groups, accordingto the Western-Transdanubian Regional Institute ofNational Public Health and Medical Officers’ Servicein Hungary.

• Lead concentrations in the air in Tblisi, Georgia’s capitalcity, are above recommended levels. In rush-hour traffic,levels rise higher with serious consequences forchildren’s health, according to the GeorgianEnvironmental and Biological MonitoringAssociation (GEBMA).

The CEHAPE Award contest was fundedby the Austrian Federal Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry, Environment andWater Management. It was organised byHEAL in collaboration with WECF and ISDEas part of the Intergovernmental Mid-termReview of progress in the implementationof commitments within the Children’sEnvironment and Health Action Plans(CEHAPE) and the Budapest Declaration,which were signed by governments of theWorld Health Organization’s Europeanregion in June 2004 during the FourthMinisterial Conference on Environment andHealth.

Organisers of the Awards

Génon JensenExecutive DirectorHealth & Environment Allianceformerly EPHA Environment Network (EEN)28 Boulevard CharlemagneB-1000 BrusselsTel: +32 2 234 3641 (direct)Fax : +32 2 234 3649E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.env-health.org

Sascha GabizonInternational DirectorWomen in Europe for a Common FutureEco-ForumPO Box 130473507 LA UtrechtNetherlandsTel: +49 89 202 32390Email: [email protected] Website: www.wefc.org

Hanns MoshammerInternational Society of Doctors for theEnvironment (ISDE)AerztInnen fuer eine gesunde Umwelt(ISDE Austria)Grosse Mohrengasse 39/21020 ViennaAustriaTel: +43 1-216 34 22Fax: +43 1-216 34 22-15Website: members.nextra.at/aegu/

This document is also available on the “Healthy Environments for Children” CEHAPE website.

This brochure was made possible with the financial support of the European Commission.