Transcript Slide 1

WHO Frameworks
Approaches to national cancer &
non-communicable disease strategies
Lisette van Vliet & Katrina Perehudoff
HEAL Workshop: Cancer Prevention & the Environment
Examples & Opportunities for national & EU initiatives
2 Dec 2008 Brussels
Health & Environment Alliance, www.env-health.org
European Strategy for Prevention & Control of
Non-communicable Diseases 2004
Key messages -1-
1. Prevention throughout life is effective and must be
regarded as investment in health and development.
2. Society should create health-supporting
environments, thereby also making healthy choices
easier.
3. Health and medical services should be fit for
purpose, responding to present disease burden
and increasing opportunities for health promotion.
.
European Strategy for Prevention & Control of NCD 2004
Key messages -2-
4. People should be empowered to promote their own
health, interact effectively with health services and
be active partners in managing disease.
5. Universal access to health promotion, disease
prevention and health services is central to
achieving equity in health.
6. Governments at all levels have the responsibility to
build healthy public policies and ensure action
across all the sectors concerned.
European Strategy for NCD 2004
Framework for Action
Prevention of NCD is an investment with benefits for other
sectors and development as a whole, eg. gains in productivity,
employment, social cohesion & econ devlopment
Ensure that choices among investments to promote the health of
the population are prioritized depending on their potential
contribution to social and economic development.
Put in place mechanisms to get research into practice more
quickly and effectively.
Include the basics of disease prevention in undergraduate and
continuing education programs for health professionals,
since emphasis frequently still on acute/curative models.
National Cancer Control Programs:
Policies & Managerial Guidelines (2002)
•
•
Prevention > Occupation & Environmental Health
Proposed model to establish an occupational health program:
Government
establish
standards
modify practices
to comply with
standards by
redesign and/or
substitution
prohibit
dumping
surveillance
& control
safe and healthy
occupational
environmental
programs
Science
Industry
Civil
Society
import of
hazardous
practices
WHO Consultation:
National control strategies in Europe (2004)
Prevention > Environment
• Strength: legislation to reduce occupational exposures
• Weakness: continued use of bio-accumulating pesticides
Action
Process
established cancer
Output
control program from a
# of cancerparticipatory process
causing agents including NGOs and
removed from
endorsed by
environment
Ministry of Health
Outcome
reduced illness
and death due
to cancer
WHO Consultation:
National control strategies in Europe (2004)
• Improve the balance of national programme by placing
appropriate emphasis on cancer prevention…
• Increase collective measures to control exposure to risk
factors
• Evaluate proportions of total cancer control budget for
prevention, early detection/screening, diagnosis,
treatment and palliative care - revise when necessary to ensure a balanced approach
• Improve education in schools and for general public
about healthy lifestyles
References of interest
From National Cancer Control Programs: Policies &
Managerial Guidelines (2002)
• WHO series Environmental Health Criteria
includes 160+ monographs to guide actions to
minimize environmental health hazards
• United Nations (NY) Consolidated List of Products
provides regularly updated List of banned or restricted
chemicals and drugs
Health & Environment Alliance
28 Boulevard Charlemagne
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: + 32 2 234 3640 (main)
www.env-health.org
Thank you for your attention!