title: [Environmental health policies emphasizing air pollution and childhood in Colombian cities].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Responding to an initiative advanced by the National Economic and Social Policy Council (CONPES, 3344/2005), this article presents the results of a research project concerned with environmental health in Colombian cities emphasising air pollution.
  
  
  METHODS
  The project was carried out between 2008 and 2009 for the Colombian Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Territorial Development using strategic environmental assessment (SEA) methodology contained in the complementary and decision-centred approach known as analytical strategic environmental assessment (ANSEA), relying on expert participation in different areas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five key issues were identified to base such policy on: urban planning, mobility and transport, industry and services, energy sources and risk management. Each theme was diagnosed regarding its current state from experts' knowledge and official information.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Such diagnosis led to a series of actions or interventions to be implemented at different levels by the state entities involved. Complementary recommendations were made for decision-making relating to the suggested interventions. Methodological guidelines were proposed for research into economic variables and the pertinent epidemiological surveillance.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Tecnología, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá, Colombia. cagarciau@udistrital.edu.co
authors.forename: Cesar A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: García-Ubaque
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: García-Ubaque
authors.forename: Martha L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Vaca-Bohórquez
mesh_terms: D000397:Air Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002958:City Planning; D003105:Colombia; D003657:Decision Making; D004736:Energy-Generating Resources; D004782:Environmental Health; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012308:Risk Management; D014186:Transportation; D014504:Urban Health