Health & Environment Alliance, WHO Frameworks Approaches to national cancer & non-communicable disease strategies Lisette van Vliet & Katrina Perehudoff HEAL Workshop: Cancer Prevention & the Environment Examples & Opportunities for national & EU initiatives 2 Dec 2008 Brussels

European Strategy for Prevention & Control of Non-communicable Diseases 2004 Key messages Prevention throughout life is effective and must be regarded as investment in health and development. 2. Society should create health-supporting environments, thereby also making healthy choices easier. 3. Health and medical services should be fit for purpose, responding to present disease burden and increasing opportunities for health promotion..

European Strategy for Prevention & Control of NCD 2004 Key messages People should be empowered to promote their own health, interact effectively with health services and be active partners in managing disease. 5. Universal access to health promotion, disease prevention and health services is central to achieving equity in health. 6. Governments at all levels have the responsibility to build healthy public policies and ensure action across all the sectors concerned.

European Strategy for NCD 2004 Framework for Action Prevention of NCD is an investment with benefits for other sectors and development as a whole, eg. gains in productivity, employment, social cohesion & econ devlopment Ensure that choices among investments to promote the health of the population are prioritized depending on their potential contribution to social and economic development. Put in place mechanisms to get research into practice more quickly and effectively. Include the basics of disease prevention in undergraduate and continuing education programs for health professionals, since emphasis frequently still on acute/curative models.

National Cancer Control Programs: Policies & Managerial Guidelines (2002) Government Science Industry establish standards modify practices to comply with standards by redesign and/or substitution surveillance & control import of hazardous practices prohibit dumping safe and healthy occupational environmental programs Civil Society X X Prevention > Occupation & Environmental Health Proposed model to establish an occupational health program:

WHO Consultation: National control strategies in Europe (2004) Prevention > Environment Strength: legislation to reduce occupational exposures Weakness: continued use of bio-accumulating pesticides Action Output # of cancer- causing agents removed from environment Process established cancer control program from a participatory process including NGOs and endorsed by Ministry of Health Outcome reduced illness and death due to cancer

WHO Consultation: National control strategies in Europe (2004) Improve the balance of national programme by placing appropriate emphasis on cancer prevention… Increase collective measures to control exposure to risk factors Evaluate proportions of total cancer control budget for prevention, early detection/screening, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care - - revise when necessary to ensure a balanced approach Improve education in schools and for general public about healthy lifestyles

References of interest From National Cancer Control Programs: Policies & Managerial Guidelines (2002) WHO series Environmental Health Criteria includes 160+ monographs to guide actions to minimize environmental health hazards United Nations (NY) Consolidated List of Products provides regularly updated List of banned or restricted chemicals and drugs

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