Projects

Consultant on legislation, processes and methods for HIA within the EIA process in Mongolia: Sponsored by MOH
The purpose of this project was to provide technical advice for integration of health impact assessment into the environmental impact assessment and assist in the development of guidelines and manuals on HIA and conduct 3-5 day training on HIA for health, environment, inspection and other sector staff;

The main findings from the mission were that a) the timing is opportune for the MOH to put forward recommendation for changes to the Law on EIA and the associated procedures for the stronger inclusion of HIA in the approvals process: b) there is currently in Mongolia a great deal of interest and enthusiasm for the stronger inclusion of HIA in the approvals process for industrial developments; c) it is very likely that the multinational companies currently developing projects in Mongolia will be carrying out HIA in some form as this is now considered world’s best practice. Mongolia will need to develop its own guidelines for HIA.

Consultant to Fudan University Shanghai on Environmental Health Risk Assessment: Sponsored by WHO


The WHO together with the CDC China proposed the development of a short course on Health Risk Assessment.

Introduction to HIA in the Solomon Islands: Sponsored by MOH
The aims of the project were to present papers on key issues (e.g. policy and legislation) discussed at the workshop and facilitate discussion sessions and to conduct training sessions for key health professionals and stakeholders in HIA concepts, processes, assessment tools, standards and monitoring and pollution assessment.

Advisor on Water Quality Sanitation and Hygiene policy in the region: Sponsored by WHO
Jeff Spickett was invited to attend the meeting as an advisor and then to develop a Guide to the Functions of Health Authorities in the Control and Prevention of Water Related Diseases. The WHO subsequently published the document.

Consultant on development of a National Environmental Health Action Plan: Sponsored by MOH, WHO
The main aim of the project was to review and study international best practices in the preparation and implementation of National Environmental Health Action Plan (NEHAP) and to develop the best suitable approach for Malaysia.

Jeff Spickett met with senior staff from the MOH to discuss and review issues associated with the development of the National Environmental Health Policy and Strategies and the current structure of environmental health management in Malaysia. He gained an appreciation of the factors influencing these developments so as to prepare draft documents for discussion at the National Workshop. Assistance was provided on the design, content and implementation of the consultative meeting that was held to provide input to the policy framework and plans from the range of stakeholders. Further revisions the documents taking account of comments made by stakeholders during and after the discussions with stakeholders. A final draft of the NEHAP was prepared.

Invited visiting Professor China University of Geosciences – Lecture series on Risk Management in Work Safety and Health
Presentations of Risk Management

Development of the National Environmental Health Policy: Sponsored by MOH

Senior Staff from a range of government departments met to discuss and review issues associated with the development of the National Environmental Health Policy and the current structure of environmental health management. Assistance was provided on the design and content of the consultative meeting that was held to provide input to the Policy and Action Plan from a range of stakeholders. After the meeting the writer made further revisions the Policy and Action Plan taking account of comments made by stakeholders during the meeting.

Development of the National Environmental Health Policy and Action Plan: Sponsored by MOH

Senior Staff from a range of government departments met to discuss and review issues associated with the development of the National Policy and Action Plan for Environmental Health and the current structure of environmental health management. Assistance was provided on the design and content of the consultative meeting which was held to provide input to the Policy and Action Plan from a range of stakeholders. After the meeting the writer made further revisions the Policy and Action Plan taking account of comments made by stakeholders during the meeting.

World Health Day workshop / MOH

An event to to recognize World Health Day was organized by the Ministry of Health in Brunei.  MOH Staff and other agencies attended the event. 
Objectives were: 1) To develop and present a keynote lecture on protecting health from climate change. 2) To develop and deliver workshops on health impacts of climate change in Brunei and health impacts of climate change- risk assessment and adaptation.

Environmental Health Impact Assessment reviewing cyanide and mercury contamination in the Darkhaan-Uul amiag region of Mongolia: Sponsored by Ministry of Health / WHO
Environmental Health Impact Assessment consultation / Ministry of Health / WHO office reviewing cyanide and mercury contamination in the Darkhaan-Uul aimag region of Mongolia.

The purpose of the overall mission was to collaborate with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the WHO Office in Mongolia with the following Terms of Reference.

• To review the existing situation of cyanide and mercury contamination in Orkhom soum of Darkhan-Uul aimag, Mongolia an assess Government action from a health point of view.


• To assist in making a preliminary health impact assessment for the affected areas and population.


• To develop terms of reference for detailed health impact studies as indicated and profiles of technical experts that should be mobilised to support such studies.


• To write a report at the end of the mission.

The Development of a National Environmental Health Action Plan and Related Activities in China: Sponsored by MOH / State Environmental Protection Administration / WHO

The purpose of the overall mission was to collaborate with the Ministry of Health (MOH), the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) and other relevant authorities, and the WHO office in China:

• to support the finalisation of a National Environmental Health Action Plan for China;


• to coordinate with the national counterparts, relevant WHO staff and those of other partner agencies in the implementation of the planned activities including those on water and sanitation, indoor air quality, climate change, occupational health, chemical emergencies, etc.;


• to update a work plan for WHO collaboration with China in environmental health (water, sanitation, waste management, health impact assessment, indoor and urban air quality management, occupational health, global environmental changes, etc) for 2007 and for 2008-2009, based on the work carried out and in line with the China Country Collaboration Strategy;


• to participate in relevant meetings on health and environment (e.g. UN Theme Group on Energy and the Environment, etc.) in the country; and


• to submit a mission report at the end of the assignment.

High Level Meeting on Health and Environment in ASEAN and East Asian Countries

Influence of Hygienic Behaviour on Occupational nickel exposure in Indonesia: Sponsored by CDC / Occupational Health and Poison Control

Environmental Health Impact Assessment WHO / Ministry of Health / Ministry of Environment

This EHIA consultation was held in October 2004, in Malaysia, in conjunction with the WHO and the Malaysian Government.  Discussions were held with officials from the Ministry of Health, Department of Environment, other government agencies and university staff about EHIA, EIA and occupational risk assessment.  Following these discussions, a five day workshop was developed that focused on training needs in the area of EHIA. The workshop successfully developed a framework for EHIA training modules and made recommendations aimed at strengthening the role of EHIA in Malaysia. 

High Level Meeting on Health and Environment for 14 countries in the Region Consultant

The High-Level Meeting on Health and Environment in ASEAN and East Asian Countries was held in Manila from 24 to 26 November 2004 as a collaborative arrangement between he WHO, UNEP and ADB.

The objectives of the meeting were to:

1. review and identify major and common environmental health issues and challenges facing ASEAN countries, China, Japan, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea; and


2. delineate actions by countries and partner agencies that would strengthen the effective collaboration between the health and environment sectors for sound environmental health policies and interventions.

The proceeding or the meeting commenced with opening remarks from representatives of the Asia Development Bank, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Health Organisation. In preparation for the meeting documents entitled Environmental Country Profiles (EHCP) and Environmental Health Data Sheets were prepared. These documents provided summaries of health and environments aspects of each of the 14 countries represented at the meeting. In the context of the first objective for the meeting WHO consultants presented brief summaries of the main environmental and health issues for each country represented at the meeting. After this session the group divided into three groups for discussion on the main environmental and health issues in the countries and to review the EHDS and EHCP documents, the value of updating the documents on a regular basis and suggest improvements. The results of the group discussions were presented at a plenary session.

In addressing the second objective for the meeting plenary sessions were held on five topics: air quality and health, water quality and health, hazardous chemicals/waste and health, poverty, conservation and health and climate change and health. Each topic was address by the presentation of papers by staff from the organising agencies followed by plenary discussion on each topic.

As a major theme for the meeting was better collaboration and cooperation between the health and environment sectors within and across countries represented a video conference took place to gain an appreciation of the background and the progress in Europe with the Ministerial Conferences on Environment and Health which have been held at regular intervals since 1987.

On the last day of the meeting attention focused on the development of recommendations to come forward from the meeting. After intensive group and plenary discussions the meeting made recommendations for implementation at country level and at the regional level.

The group work was conducted to identify possible mechanisms and innovative ideas to strengthen intersectoral collaboration between the health and environment sectors. The key focal points for the discussion were:

• Strategies which can strengthen the health and environment sectors and possibly others in the development and implementation of policies.


• Specific actions/interventions to promote strategies and policies to address priority issues at the country and regional levels.


• Areas of collaboration to promote shared responsibilities between two ministries and with other relevant government agencies as well as other stakeholders.

The results of the group work were presented at a plenary session and it was agreed that the recommendations, which are presented below, would be placed before the appropriate group within the WHO, UNEP and ADB for their consideration as well as to relevant government agencies.

Environmental Health Impact Assessment Consultation - WHO, MOH, National Institute for Occupational and Environmental Health, Vietnam

The objectives of this consultation were to:

• To conduct an overall assessment of potential environmental hazards and the risks to human health in Vietnam, and categorise or prioritise these hazards and identify possible mechanisms to mitigate and control the hazards;


• To identify the institutional, universities, private sector and other government research bodies and institutes that have capacity to support health impact/risk assessment in Vietnam and initiate steps to improve local networks;


• To evaluate the monitoring and surveillance of health and environmental data collection systems and provide suggestions and recommendations to improve the quality, utilization and analysis of the data for policy making decisions and program development for Vietnam;


• To conduct training and development the capacity at national, provincial and local levels in assessing and managing the environmental hazards, research and methodology development, policy development and analysis etc; and,


• To establish environmental health surveillance systems for monitoring and surveillance of relevant diseases or events for Vietnam and identify specific areas for the monitoring of clusters of environmental diseases in Vietnam.

Presentations of country reports by participants summarized the situation in each country with respect to health impacts of environmental hazards and relevant programmes and activities undertaken by each of the countries. A field trip to the Alam Flora Solid Waste Transfer Station in Kuala Lumpur was also undertaken. Participants conducted three group discussion sessions, identifying appropriate options for strengthening national capacity in assessment of health impacts of environmental hazards, delineating possible mechanisms for intersectoral collaboration in health impact assessment, and discussing issues associated with health impact assessment of global environmental changes.

Environmental Health Impact Assessment Workshop - WHO Western Pacific Regional Office

The Workshop on Assessment of Health Impacts of Environmental Hazards was conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 25 to 28 August 2003 by the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional Office.

The objectives of the workshop were to:

1. review the capacity for, and implementation of, health impact assessment of environmental hazards in the Region;


2. examine possible innovative approaches to strengthening national capacity in health impact assessment of environmental changes;


3. identify possible mechanisms to strengthen collaboration between the health and other sectors (e.g. environment, transport and energy sectors) in assessment and management of health impacts of environmental changes; and


4. discuss emerging global environmental changes that are expected to have direct or indirect impacts on health and identify areas where national capacity needs to be developed.

The workshop was attended by 18 participants from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Fiji, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Viet Nam. There was an observer from Asian Development Bank and seven observers from Malaysia. Two Temporary Advisers, Professor J. Spickett, Director, Research and Graduate Studies, Division of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Western Australia, Australia and Dr M. Kabuto, Director, Environmental Risk Research Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan were recruited; and three WHO staff members served as the secretariat for the workshop.

The proceedings comprised presentations of country reports by participants, which summarized the situation in each country with respect to health impacts of environmental hazards and relevant programmes and activities undertaken by the countries. A field trip to Alam Flora Solid Waste Transfer Station in Kuala Lumpur was also undertaken. Participants conducted three group discussion sessions, identifying appropriate options for strengthening national capacity in assessment of health impacts of environmental hazards, delineating possible mechanisms for intersectoral collaboration in health impact assessment, and discussing issues associated with health impact assessment of global environmental changes.

Environmental Health Impact Assessment Consultation - WHO / Ministry of Health, Mongolia

This project was divided into three stages where Stages One and Two provided collaborative activities with the MOH and other agencies at the national, city, district and subdistrict level. This consisted of a review and assessment of environmental and clinical analysis capabilities linking health data with results from environmental monitoring programs. This data provided the background for a report and subsequent workshop for Stage Three. This workshop was attended by 40 participants and included two field visits / case studies at a water treatment plant and an air monitoring station in Ulaanbataar to demonstrate the application of EHIA techniques in practice.

Strengthening National Capacity in Environmental Health - WHO Western Pacific Regional Office

This consultation was attended by 32 temporary advisers from Australia, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, Japan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, and Viet Nam. There were two representatives from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the WHO Centre for Health Development in Kobe (WKC), and eleven WHO staff members serving as the secretariat.

The four main objectives of the consultation were to:

1. review recent developments and experiences of Member States in the assessment and management of environmental health hazards;


2. review recent global and regional initiatives and plans related to environmental health;


3. identify priorities and gaps in relation to the assessment and management of environmental health impacts/risks; and


4. identify priorities and gaps in relation to the assessment and management of environmental health impacts/risks; and


5. recommend the future course of action by WHO and Member States for the next five years.

The working group produced recommendations for the future course of action by Member States and WHO/other partner agencies from the outcomes of the consultations.

Environmental Health Impact Assessment Consultation and Workshop- WHO / Ministry of Health, Fiji

This project was divided into two phases. The first phase held in September was to provide an assessment of local and national government capacities for EHIA data collection, utilisation and dissemination. A workshop on EHIA techniques and methodologies was conducted and protocols were established for an assessment of priority environmental hazards and pollutants in the local Suva region. Questionnaires and a cross sectional survey was developed evaluating linkages between environmental monitoring data and health outcomes from environmental water contamination in selected villages, towns and settlements.

Phase Two consisted of a review of the analysis conducted in Phase One and the development of a report providing background for the initiation of an action plan to further improve the EHIA component in Fiji. This action plan included identifying capacities and resources needing development and improvement, and working towards the removal of barriers to implement EHIA in Fiji.

Environmental Health Impact Assessment Consultation and Workshop- WHO / Ministry of Health, Department of Energy

A collaborative review of drafted EHIA guidelines provided the input for recommendations toward improved EHIA adoption within Malaysia. A training module consistent with the local Malaysian context was developed, and a subsequent workshop with other agencies on EHIA was held in an effort to build EHIA procedures into the current EIA process. A field visit to a clinical waste incinerator enabled participants to see at first hand some of the considerations important for the EHIA of projects.

Environmental Health Impact Assessment Workshop -WHO / Department of Health, Papua New Guinea

This workshop was attended by Department of Health officials and was designed to enhance the potential to increase the capacity of environmental health officers to implement EHIA processes and procedures. Draft guidelines for EHIA in PNG were discussed. A representative of the Department of Environment and Conservation was present affording views of the proposed revision to the Environment Act providing a more cohesive and unified approach to enable EHIA processes.

The following objectives were to:

• facilitate the national workshop on Environmental Health Impact Assessment and provide technical support and training as part of capacity building;


• complete the case studies on mining, logging, coffee and palm oil industries; and


• prepare a report at the end of the assignment.

Environmental Health Impact Assessment workshop -WHO / Department of Health, Papua New Guinea

A capacity building meeting was held in July with the Papua New Guinea DOH with the intention of furthering the facilitation of a workshop scheduled in September to assist the progress of EHIA processes and procedures with various officials of the Environmental Health government departments.

This workshop consisted of the following agendas:

• advise on the development of guidelines for environmental health impact assessment (EHIA);


• develop a Memorandum of understanding for the implementation of EHIA;


• initiate the collection of data for the development of case studies in the areas of mining, logging, coffee and palm oil industries; and


• prepare a report at the end of this part of the assignment.

The Office of Environment and Conservation was visited to discuss current and future developments regarding Environmental Impact Assessment of developments. A review of staff and resources needed to implement the proposed EHIA and associated activities was discussed and scrutinised. Subsequent discussions by DOH and OEC staff produced a draft MOU. The MOU provided information detailing requirements needed to enhance the potential for an effective implementation necessity to increase the understanding of personnel from relevant government departments of the processes and procedures for EHIA/EIA in PNG.

A workshop on EHIA was planned for late September and would include two field visits at various case study areas in PNG to emphasise concepts and activities required to implement EHIA.