Health Consequences of Environmental Exposures in Early Life: Coping with a Changing World in the Post-MDG Era.
Despite overall progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals, large health discrepancies persist between developed and developing countries. The world is rapidly changing and the influences of societal change and climate change will disproportionately affect the world's most vulnerable populations, thus exacerbating current inequities. Current development strategies do not adequately address these disproportionate impacts of environmental exposures. The aim of this study was to propose a new framework to address the health consequences of environmental exposures beyond 2015. This framework is transdisciplinary and precautionary. It is based on identifying social and economic determinants of health, strengthening primary health systems, and improving the health of vulnerable populations. It incorporates deliberate plans for assessment and control of avoidable environmental exposures. It sets specific, measurable targets for health and environmental improvement.
Hazardous Substances Research Branch; Superfund Research Program, National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC.
William
W
Suk
Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok, Thailand.
Mathuros
M
Ruchirawat
Centro Infant, Biomedical Research Institute, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Renato T
RT
Stein
School of Medicine, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
Fernando
F
Diaz-Barriga
Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY.
David O
DO
Carpenter
Department of Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants of Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Maria
M
Neira
Children's Health and Environment Program, Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: p.sly@uq.edu.au.
Peter D
PD
Sly
D057231:Climate Change; D003906:Developing Countries; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014943:Global Health; D006078:Government Programs; D006801:Humans; D035862:Vulnerable Populations
children; environmental justice; health care systems; noncommunicable disease; social determinants of health