2012-10-24-世界卫生组织-Strategy_for_strengthening_the_engagement_of_the_health_sector_in_the_implementation_of_the_Strategic_Approach_to_International_Chemicals_Management_12页_176kb

Summary

Context and Introduction

1. Strategic Approach (SA): Aims for chemicals production and use by 2020 to minimize adverse human health and environmental impacts, requiring full sector involvement, including the health sector.
2. Health Sector Importance: Deals with chemical impacts on human health, can contribute to safer chemical management through healthcare activities.
3. Conference Mandate: The International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM.3) requested a strategy to strengthen health sector engagement based on WHO collaboration.

Goal and Scope

• The goal is to better involve the health sector in the Strategic Approach to improve sound chemicals management and minimize adverse effects by 2020.

Setting

1. Chemical Economy: Significant contributor, with growing use, particularly in developing countries.
2. Health Impact: Substantial human health impacts remain from poor chemicals management (WHO estimates).
3. Health Sector Composition: Includes diverse actors (public, private, volunteers) and workers across various occupations involved in prevention and care.
4. Current Engagement: Health sector is primarily involved through traditional activities like food/water safety. Broader chemicals management is often outside its purview or poorly understood.
5. Strategic Approach Integration: Perceived mainly as an environmental issue, leading to limited health sector participation.
6. Environmental Priority: Responds to growing global concern about chemicals.

Strategy Aim and Objectives

• Principal Aim: Increase awareness and involvement of the health sector in sound chemicals management to meet the 2020 goal.
• Supports Overarching Strategy: Incorporates health sector considerations into implementation and periodic review processes.
• Specific Objectives: Increase awareness/build capacity; improve health impact information; strengthen sector capacity; foster better consultation/cooperation; leverage resources; enhance international agency coordination for health sector implementation.

Guiding Principles

• Prevention: Focus on preventing human health impacts from chemicals.
• Evidence-based: Actions should be based on available evidence and contribute to understanding chemical links to health.
• Equity: Ensure participation and protection of vulnerable groups.
• Consistency/Leveraging: Build upon existing policies and encourage closer coordination.
• Respect for Diversity: Recognize country-specific priorities, missions, and capacities.

Activities (See Annex V Implementation)

• Awareness-raising: Develop tailored information products, portals, journals, targeting various health sector audiences (ministries, professionals).
• Build on Health Networks: Leverage inter-ministerial arrangements, contact points, and online platforms (like INTOX), manage secretariats effectively.
• Empower Focal Points: Provide guidance, briefings, monitor implementation plans, ensure health sector contact points are utilized and participate.
• Create Healthy Healthcare Settings: Incorporate chemicals policies into healthcare practice, use simple tools (like control banding), educate healthcare workforce.
• Strengthen Training: Incorporate environmental/occupational health, toxicology into curricula; link professional associations/academia.
• Joint Actions Between Sectors: Link chemicals management with MEAs (like IHR), toxicovigilance, and regional health-environment processes.

Means of Implementation

• Implemented through existing SAICM institutional arrangements (coordination processes, implementation plans, Quick Start, finance).
• Information collected through periodic reporting, with WHO consultation.
• Progress reviewed regionally, interim and full reports prepared for subsequent ICCM sessions starting with ICCM.4.