The World Health Organisation, WHO, initiated in 1989 a process to reduce the impact of environmental problems on human health. In the cooperation, 53 European countries participate.
Sweden is represented by focal points at the Public Health Authority and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Within the co-operation, the WHO has organized six ministerial conferences every five years, resulting in joint declarations and commitments.
During the last meeting, held in Ostrava, Czech Republic in June 2017, the countries undertook to produce a portfolio in 2018 describing how the country works with the issues, both institutionally and with measures to improve the environment and health situation.
To support this, there is an annex to the Ministerial Declaration, which lists a number of priority areas and actions:
Priority areas:
- Improved air quality
- Safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene
- Minimizing adverse effects by chemicals
- Waste management and contaminated sites
- Health risks from climate change
- Sustainable urban environment
- Environmentally sustainable health care