The latest version of the Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) will be discussed at an inter ministerial Ad Hoc Working Group on the 15-16, December, 2003 in Brussels. EPHA will be represented by Peter Helms from EPHA member organisation, the European Respiratory Society.
The new version has several new elements that EPHA has supported including:
A new paragraph explicitly recognising the need to work on Europe’s most vulnerable children who find themselves in particularly adverse conditions (pg 2, paragraph 5)
A new paragraph before the four Regional Priority Goals which recognises the socioeconomic conditions of children, and emphasises action aimed at addressing primary prevention, equity and health promotion (pg. 4, paragraph 11)
Mention of NGOs as key stakeholders in advocacy, information and communication strategies (pg. 9, paragraph 24)
The new version contains text (highlighted in yellow) that has been suggested in the context of the Evora intergovernmental preparatory meeting held 27-28 November, or through written comment.
The Evora meeting was attended by EPHA representatives, Genon Jensen and Joanne Vincenten.
YOUR INPUT
Comments are welcome on this version and should be sent directly to Genon Jensen (genon@epha.org) by Thursday, December 11, who will ensure that the EPHA representative highlight them during the CEHAPE Third Ad Hoc Working Group meeting next week.
One of EPHA Environment Network members, the International Society of Doctors for the Environment, has also submitted text changes to the CEHAPE, which can be viewed in the below document.
