Bangkok--14 Aug--Nara system Ministers and high level officials of environment and health in South-East and East Asian countries today endorsed the Bangkok Declaration on Environment and Health in a collective effort to reduce the estimated 6.6 million deaths in Asia each year attributable to various environmental health risks. The death toll is approximately 25% of all deaths. The First Ministerial Regional Forum on Environment and Health was held between 8 and 9 of August 2007. The High Level meeting on the 8th was a forum to review national activities and the Regional Work Plans. On the 9th, Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol, President of the Chulabhorn Research Institute, graciously inaugurated the Ministerial meeting, gave a keynote lecture and chaired the Scientific Segment: “Emerging Environmental Health Concerns — Strengthening Science in Policies”. The Ministerial meeting then endorsed the Bangkok Declaration on Environment and Health, aimed to strengthen cooperation between ministries responsible for environment and health within countries and across the region. The Bangkok Declaration on Environment and Health will provide a mechanism for sharing knowledge and experiences, improve policy and regulatory frameworks at the national and regional level, and promote the implementation of integrated environmental health strategies and regulations. “The Bangkok Declaration on Environment and Health takes us a firm step forward from monitoring and assessment of sectoral issues towards the prevention of health impacts," said Mr. Surendra Shrestha, Regional Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) “The region's high death toll from environmental degradation can be avoided if we are determined to reverse the current trend," said Dr. Shigeru Omi, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. Dr. Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia said “The role of health ministries would need to be expanded to face the increasing challenges of the collaborative process of integrating health and environment in national development." Incorporated in the Bangkok Declaration on Environment and Health is a Regional Charter aimed at helping South-East and East Asian countries develop joint policies and programmes on environment and health. The Regional Charter identified six environmental and health priority areas over the next three years and Regional Thematic Working Groups have been established. Each of the working groups includes more than 20 experts and is chaired as follows: - Air quality: Korea Environmental Health Forum, Republic of Korea and Pollution Control Department, Thailand. - Water supply, hygiene and sanitation: Institute for Environmental Health and related Product Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China. - Solid and hazardous waste: Ministry of Environment, Japan. - Toxic chemicals and hazardous substances: Ministry of Public Health, Thailand. - Climate change, ozone depletion and ecosystem change: Ministry of Environment, Indonesia. - Contingency planning, preparedness and response to environmental health emergencies: Department of Health, Philippines. Dr. Vallop Thainuea, Deputy Minister for Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health said: “Since the capacities of countries in the region to deal with environmental health problems are limited, we need to have better intersectoral coordination. The ministers agreed to actively share information and contribute their resources to the protection of the environment and health at the local, national, regional and global level. “Protection of health and environment is vital for sustainable development. A strong and thriving economy will alleviate poverty and provide a better quality of life.” Dr. Supat Wangwongwatana, Director General of Pollution Control Department of Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said yesterday. Capacity building through education and training will be one of our major focuses. Awareness on environment and health issues would be improved through information dissemination, and effective risk communication. Research and training institutions such as Chulabhorn Research Institute will play key role in providing human resource development for the region. A Second Ministerial Regional Forum is planned in 2010 to review the progress in implementing the Regional Charter. The Ministerial Regional Forum was attended by environment and health ministers and high level officials from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. Representatives from the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and the World Bank also attended the meeting. The meeting was jointly organized by the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and the WHO Regional Offices for South-East Asia and the Western Pacific, and hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Public Health of the Government of Thailand and the Chulabhorn Research Institute. For more information, please contact: Mr. Surendra Shreastha, UNEP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, at 66(2)2881870; or e-mail: [email protected] Dr Hisashi Ogawa, WHO Regional Adviser in Environmental Health, at +63(2)528-9886 (landline); +63-9209524203 (mobile); or e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Click for photo release at www.thaipr.net