13/09/2005 - The current
way of analysing connections between environment
and health attributes only 2-5% of European
mortality and morbidity to environmental factors.
However, this so-called "burden of disease"
approach is likely to be flawed, according
to EEA executive director Professor Jacqueline
McGlade who spoke today at the 2005 conference
of the UK Health Protection Agency at Warwick
University.
In her speech, Jacqueline McGlade noted that
multi-causality and complexity were often
neglected in research looking at connections
between environment and health. This is due
in part to the sheer complexity of these realities.
'Research however needed to address these
complexities if it was to be realistic,' said.
Jacqueline McGlade. She went on to add that
the EEA planned to do further work on multi-causality
and the burden of disease over the next two
years in partnership with the JRC.
In her presentation, she also said that the
EEA, as a follow-up study to its widely read
and quoted report on the precautionary principle,
would address the issues of how to calculate
the cost and the benefits of action or inaction
when faced with an environmental problem.
The new report on the precautionary principle
due out in 2007 will comprise 16 case studies.
The case studies will cover issues, such
as lead in petrol and climate change, and
will address in particular how science is
generated, financed, communicated, used and
sometimes misused. It will also look at what
lessons can be drawn from over–reacting to
weak and sometimes mistaken signals.
Link to Professor Jacqueline McGlade's speech:
http://org.eea.eu.int/documents/speeches/12-09-2005
Link to Precautionary Principle report: http://reports.eea.eu.int/environmental_issue_report_2001_22/en
The main themes of the UK Health Protection
Agency conference, which runs from 12 to 14
September, are health inequalities, and patient
and public safety. The conference brings together
over 900 health and scientific professionals
and forms part of the UK Presidency of the
EU 2005 health programme. It showcases the
latest scientific research and developments
on a wide range of core issues within health
protection. http://www.hpaconference.org.uk/
The UK Health Protection Agency is an independent
body with responsibility for protecting the
health and well-being of the population. It
provides advice for government, health professionals
and the public in the UK. http://www.hpa.org.uk/
