Environmental Health in Hungary: Current Activities and Projects

1. Environmental Health in Hungary in the Light of the 4th Ministerial Conference: Current Activities, Projects and Tasks Gyula Dura, Anna Páldy National Institute of Environmental Health, Budapest ISEECentral and Eastern European Meeting 4 - 6 September, Balatonföldvár, 2003

2. Growing international awareness that good health is VITAL • European Environmental and Health Process • EU new Public Health Policy • European Environment &Health Strategy • UN Millenium Development Goals • Declaration of Johannesburg Word conference on Sustainable Development • 4th European Environment & Health Ministerial Conferance

3. Environmental health is very important for HungaryCommitment of Hungary in strengthening environmental health policy • This is supported by our legal provisions • Act of 1991 on National Public Health and Medical Officer’s Service • in the new Act of 1997 on Health a whole chapter deals with environmental health issues • Active institutions in the field of environmental healthThe establishment of the National Institute for Environmental Health (NIEH) in 1998 reflects that in Hungary environmental health is a priority issue

4. Implementation of environmental health policy - • Environmental Health Surveillance, provided by Natl.Public Health and Medical Officer’s Service as well as county Public Health Institutes • NIEH (former National Institute of Hygiene, founded in 1925) • professional expertise; • professional objectives as setting up of environmental health requirements, including human health risk based limit values; • collecting and management of environmental health data (analysis, interpretationof monitored data ); • environmental health impact assessment; • development, calibration and validation of the chemical analytical and microbiological laboratory methods; exposure models for chemical transfer and transport processes of environmental pollutants ; • methodological and continuing education centre for environmental health inspectors, technicians; • research on the effects of natural, man-made and social environments on human health.

5. The dynamic environmental health activity in Hungary • explained by good practice regarding the management of the environmental health problems that appeared after the political system change; • harmonization of national legislation to international requirements; • health risk assessment and management of polluted sites/areas to protect the health of population living in hot spots.

6. Contaminated sites in Hungary

7. The dynamic environmental health activity • Long-term public health programme for the improvement of the health status of the population Parlament Resolution on Decade of Health ‘Johan Béla’ National Programe • Health has to become most important human value for the vast majority of the public, citizens have to be made ready to act to maintain its health. • Years of life spent in good health have to be extended. • Decision-makers have to integrate health policy into sectoral policy.

8. The dynamic environmental health activity • Long-term public health programme for the improvement of the health status of the population(2) • Establishing and maintaining equal opportunity to a healthy life • Conditions for healthy development have to be guaranteed for upcoming generations, from conception to adulthood. • Social inequalities and differences in life expectancy at birth have to be reduced. • Creating an environment conducive to health, reducing death due to environmental (external) causes • Improving epidemiological safety/food/environmental/occupational safety • Strengthening capacity – rapidly reply to new challenges

9. European environmental health process

10. The decisions, recommendations of the previous ministerial conferences • Helsinki Conference, 1994Hungary was among the firsts to develop the National Environmental Health Action Programme overview E&H priority problems and launch actions covering the whole country and mobilising the relevant sectors, NEHAP was implemented as part of the National Environmental Protection Programme but self-dependent programme with close relation with that. • London Conference, 1999Water and Health Protocol has been ratified

11. National Environmental Health Action Programme (NEHAP)

12. NEHAP (2)

13. 2000 1998 1996 1994 Hungary Budapest 1992 1990 HUF 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 Price of drinking water /m3 since 1990

14. 50 400 45 350 40 300 35 30 250 No of samples % 25 200 20 150 15 100 10 50 5 0 0 Vas Zala Pest Nógrád Győr-M-S Baranya Veszprém Borsod-A-Z Szabolcs-Sz-B No of samples Unacceptable % Tolerable % Water quality of individual (single) wells

15. NEHAP (3)

16. Priories of EU public health policytasks & opportunities for env.health • Improving health information elaboration of env.health indicators, reporting systems • Responding rapidly to health threats building capacity (e.g. improvement of laboratory methods; implementation of REHRA methodology) • Addressing health determinantsuncertainties in risk assessment, env.health/strategic impact assessment.

17. Influence of EU programmes on env. health - tasks & opportunities EU 6. Environmental Programme • protection of waters from pollution • rational use of natural resources • waste management • environmental health:facilitate more attention to vulnerable groups of population, especially to children;databases, guidelines, recommendations;approximation health, environmental and safety policies.

18. Message of Johannesburg World Conference on SD to environmental health • humans are in the centre of sustainable development • 25% of morbidity all over the word is caused by bad environmental conditions • improve sanitation Halve, by the year 2015, the proportion of people without access to safe drinking waterAim, by 2020, to use and produce chemicals in ways that do not lead to significant adverse effects on human health and the environment. • Renew the commitment to the sound management of chemicals and of hazardous wastes throughout their life cycle. • reduce adverse environmental effects taking into consideration of integrated management of poverty, environment and health.

19. Impacts of European Environment & Health strategyCOM(2003)338 final adopted 11 June 2003 Key elements: • SCALE (Science, Children, Awareness Raising, Legal instruments, Evaluation) • Integrated approach • őE&Hinformation, cycle of chemicals, research, E&H concerns into other sectoral policies, intervention, • Objectives: reduce disease burden, strenghten Focus on children: • Childhood resp.diseases, asthma, allergia • neurodevelopmental disorders • childhood cancer • endocrine dusrupting effects • Acceding countries

20. Children’s Environmental Health Action Programme should be aimed at: • improving our understanding of the environmental dangers threatening the lives of the children (traffic injuries, soil contamination of playgrounds, children accidents, etc.) • having more profound knowledge of children’s diseases ( respiratory diseases, asthma, bioallergenics, etc.) • supporting the establishment of a sound and healthy environment ( air quality, urban and rural development, etc.) The state of children’s health is the measure of economic and social development!

22. Thank you for your attention!