International Forum to discuss the link between
environment and human health
Ottawa - As world leaders meet to discuss sustainable development at the
Earth Summit in Johannesburg, Canada's International Development Research Centre
(IDRC) is announcing its International Forum on Ecosystem Approaches to Human
Health to take place in May of 2003.
The undeniable link between environmental health and human health will be
presented and discussed by the international health and environmental actors who
will be united at the Forum. Together they will demonstrate how considering the
health of ecosystems and of populations together improves human health and
creates more sustainable ecosystems. Five hundred participants are expected to
take part in this event.
It is increasingly obvious that health is not an isolated problem, but one of
environmental, societal and global concern - humans need healthy environments in
which to live in order to be healthy themselves. The ecosystem approach to human
health - known as Ecohealth - promotes human health through better management of
the ecosystem. It adopts the notion of humans being as an integral part of the
environment, instead of humans being in conflict with or outside of the
environment.
"This approach encourages a much broader concept of disease prevention
and health promotion without compromising the health of the environment,"
says Jean Lebel, the Team Leader for IDRC's Ecosystem Approaches to Human Health
program initiative. "It fits perfectly with the agenda of the World Summit
on Sustainable Development (WSSD)."
"Canada, and IDRC in particular, are recognized leaders in ecohealth. We
feel that it is imperative that we unite the appropriate players to discuss the
importance of ecohealth in our future at this time."
Since 1996 IDRC has supported numerous projects in the field of Ecohealth.
Information on these projects are available on the IDRC site atIDRC, UQAM and
the City of Montréal Biodôme are the co-hosts of the Forum, which will take
place at UQAM. For its 10th anniversary, the Biodôme will launch a six-month
mobile exhibition on the ecosystem approach to human health concept at the
Forum.
The Forum will take place in Montreal, Canada, on May 18-23, 2003
http://www.idrc.ca/forum2003
The Forum is being organized in partnership with the United Nations
Environment Programme, the United Nations Foundation, the World Health
Organization, the Ford Foundation, l'Université de Québec B Montréal, the
International Society for Ecosystem Health and the Montréal Biodôme. Key
partners also include Environment Canada, Health Canada, and the Canadian
International Development Agency as well as the Ministry of Health and Social
Services of the government of Quebec.
Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is one of the
world's leading institutions in the generation and application of new knowledge
to meet the challenges of international development. For more than 30 years,
IDRC has worked in close collaboration with researchers from the developing
world in their search for the means to build a healthier, more equitable, and
more prosperous society. IDRC is a recognized leader in Ecohealth development
projects.
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more Events
For more information:
In Ottawa: Nadine Robitaille
Media relations officer, IDRC
Tel.: (613) 236-6163, ext. 2570
Fax: (613) 563-2476
E-mail: nrobitaille@idrc.ca
In Johannesburg: Chantal Schryer
Chief Public Affairs and Government
Relations
Cell.: 44 (0) 7764 839
391
Tel.: 011 27 11 803
3063
E-mail: cschryer@idrc.ca
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