Towards Health, Nutrition and Environmental Security of Youth Habiba Hassan-Wassef, MD

1. ??? ??? ? ????? ? ??? ???? ?????? Towards Health, Nutrition and Environmental Security of Youth Habiba Hassan-Wassef, MD

2. Outline of the paper 1- Evolution in approaches to health in a changing world 2- Health of youth, an asset essential for realization of human development and economic growth 3- The interdependence of health, nutrition and environmental security all through the human life cycle 4- The double burden of the health risk transition and factors adversely impacting on health outcomes 5- Review of health related problems of youth and their own perception of their health and wellbeing 6- Programs and interventions to improve the health and nutrition status of youth 2

3. Health in a changing world Evolution in the understanding of health has followed continued disruptions in the life sustaining ecosystems as a result of climate change, which no more represent a �constant� factor. Focus on community level population centered action to address complex health related developmental issues through holistic participatory approaches is now adopted by the WHO (Return to PHC) and recommended by the Copenhagen Climate Ch. Summit. Equity in health care delivery and right to health considerations under the constraints of the financial crisis, unemployment and increasing poverty call for efficient safety nets and social protection programmes to benefit vulnerable limited income families. Evidence of the considerable potential for enhancing growth and productivity by investing more in early life health and nutrition � both before and afterbirth � direct interventions for improved health outcomes for youth to early phases of the human life cycle. 3

4. Health of youth, an asset essential for realization of human development and economic growth - Illness and poor quality of life undermines productivity - Positive relation between good health, productivity and income - Positive relation between health, educational achievements and higher paid skilled jobs - Investment in the health and education of youth - two assets that increase the value of Egypt�s human capital - can enhance the successful realization of the development action that aims at growth and prosperity for Egypt 4

5. Health, nutrition and environmental security across the human life cycle The interdependent relation between environmental ecosystems impacting on human health and sustainable development have called for the adoption of integrated multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral approaches that cut across complex interdependent factors and necessarily call for a working partnership between the involved sectors Examples are: Nutrition, involves several sectors that contribute to the food value chain, and Obesity, a problem that cannot be solved without the coordinated inputs from many different sectors and services 5

6. Source: Ricardo Uauy, �The role of the international community: forging a common  agenda in tackling the double burden of malnutrition�. SCN News, no. 32, 2006