WECF - Issues - Healthy Einvironment for all

WECF believes a healthy environment is a prerequisite for the healthy development of every human being, and that a healthy society is a productive one. Reducing the environmental effects on health creates a win-win-win situation; benefiting the environment, society and the economy.

WECF advocates a healthy environment for all. WECF is therefore actively involved in preventive action on hazardous chemicals, in particular to protect the developing child, and on chemical contamination of drinking water and children’s health.

Environmental pollution has a variety of effects on human health. Illnesses such as allergies, asthma, cancers, neuro-developmental disorders, and even cardiovascular disease have been linked to environmental factors such as exposure to environmental pollutants.

These diseases are on the rise and so are the costs for treatment and the impact on labour productivity. Assessing the full extent of the environmental burden of disease (EBD), or the impact of the environment on health, can help in understanding the actual causes of illnesses and provides opportunities for relevant policy interventions.

An example of the way in which WECF links the effects on human health with the environment is its report on breast cancer; WECF, as the women’s organization working on health and the environment, calls on the EU for a strategy on the primary prevention of breast cancer.

The publication ‘Linking Breast cancer and the Environment’ focuses on the current epidemic of breast cancer and highlights the neglection of environmental risk factors such as chemical exposure.
WECF represents the environmental NGO’s in the European Environment and Health Committee, which promotes the Children Environmental Health Action Plan (CEHAPE). The CEHAPE focuses on four regional priority goals: reducing illnesses from water pollution and sanitation, reducing illnesses from air pollution, reducing illnesses and accidents from the built environment and transport and reducing illnesses from chemical pollution and radiation.

Related News >

19.03.2010 | Sascha Gabizon
Roundtable Dialogue on wastewater solutions for Bulgaria and Romania - Report
New European Member States Romania and Bulgaria address the looming impossibility of achieving their obligations under the EC Urban Waste Water Directive and Water Framework Directive – roundtable in Sofia looks at solutions

17.03.2010 | WECF press release
Parma 2010: The right to safe water and sanitation in schools
WECF Side Event at Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, Parma 2010

16.03.2010 | Claudia Wendland
Round Table Dialogue with European Commission March 18, Grand Hotel Sofia
How to reach sustainable and cost-effective sanitation and waste water treatment in Bulgarian and Romanian rural areas?

16.03.2010 | WECF report on Parma
Parma 2010: Report of 5th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health
Strengthening implementation of children’s environmental health programmes – 53 countries of the European, Caucasus and Central Asian region adopt ministerial declaration with clear targets and commitments

12.03.2010 | WECF Press Release
Parma 2010: A small step forward on asbestos
Eastern European, Caucasus and Central Asia countries - producers and users of chrysotile asbestos – have committed to work on elimination of asbestos related diseases in cooperation with WHO and International Labour Organisation.

05.03.2010 | WECF the Netherlands Press Release
Parma 2010: “Binnenlucht: verborgen gevaar in baby’s slaapkamer”
Europees vrouwen- en milieunetwerk WECF publiceert resultaten van studie naar binnenlucht kwaliteit in kinderkamers in vier Europese landen volgende week op Ministeriële Conferentie “ Milieu en Gezondheid” in Parma , Italië

22.02.2010 | Margriet Samwel
WECF participated on workshop under the protocol on water and health
In Geneva, on 16-17 February, WECF participated on the workshop on reporting under the protocol on water and health (PWH), organised by the PWH secreatariat of the WHO regional office for Europe and the UNECE

22.02.2010 | WECF Press Release
Women's Caucus presented its message to Ministers of Environment present in Bali
Today the Women's Caucus presented its message to the Ministers of Environment present at this years UNEP Governing Council and Global Ministers for the Environment Forum in Bali, Indonesia, February 23-26 2010

19.02.2010 |
WECF and nine partners present at start up meeting Project Nesting the Netherlands
"Parents themselves are responsibles for the choices they make for their children and should be more active for better legistlation concerning hazardous chemicals in baby products"

10.02.2010 | Olivia Radu
Parma: WECF coordinator for environmental NGOs at 5th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, Parma, 10-12 March 2010
The preparations for the next WHO Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health are fully underway. Here is a letter to the NGO's concerned.

Press Coverage >

15.03.2010 | Ends daily
Countries pledge to eradicate asbestos diseases
Ends daily reports on WECF's work at Ministerial Conference in Parma

10.02.2010 | Telegraaf, bijlage Veiligheid
Was je baby nooit met gevaarlijke stoffen!

26.11.2009 | France 5, C'est Notre Affair
TV France 5: "Jouets : des toxiques sous le sapin"
Enquête sur les produits utilisés pour les jeux de nos enfants.

26.11.2009 | Mondiaal Nieuws, Belgium
Lood, cadmium, chroom en tin in speelgoed
Speelgoed is in Europa het meest gereguleerde product in de winkels zeggen productenen. Nee, zeggen Europese vrouwenorganisaties

24.11.2009 | The Connexion, France in English
Toxic toy warning for Xmas shoppers
Article on WECF France's Toxic Toys Campaign

30.10.2009 | Laura Sevier, The Ecologist
How to reduce toxins and 'green' your baby's nursery
Article on Project Nesting in UK's leading environmental magazine The Ecologist

19.06.2009 | Rotterdam Convention
WECF at Conference on Asbestos and POPS in Kazakhstan
Picture and report on the Rotterdam Convention website

05.06.2009 | Gisette van Dalen-Heemskerk - Reformatorisch Dagblad
"Brochure is bangmakerij”
Een reactie van de Organisatie van nederlandse Speelgoedleveranciers op de WECF speelgoedgids in het Reformatorisch Dagblad

05.06.2009 | Economie Redactie - Reformatorisch Dagblad
"Veel speelgoed bevat foute stoffen”
Een artikel over de WECF speelgoedgids in het Reformatorisch Dagblad

27.04.2009 | Environmentalexpert.com
WECF symposium on substitution of hazardous chemicals

Related Projects >

Armenia - Healthy food for pregnant women
Improving the health of newborn babies and pregnant women in Armenia. Growing organic Amaranth for the maternity clinic of Yerevan.

Asbestos in Eastern Europe and the Rotterdam Convention
Asbestos: a silent killer on a global scale

Belarus - Citizens involvement
Developing multi-stakeholder cooperation in the areas of water, waste and energy efficiency in Belarus

Breast Cancer: Policy and Prevention
Linking Breast cancer and our environment; is chemical exposure the missing link factor in the rise of the breast cancer epidemic?

Bulgaria - Safe Sanitation, Health and Dignity
Implementation of dry urine diverting toilets and and waste water soil filters for schools and private households

Bulgaria - Water, waste and sanitation in rural areas
Developing a model for sustainable water and waste management for rural areas

Bulgaria / Greece – WECF Project Healthy Schools
School children are given the opportunity to learn about their environment and possible ways to improve and protect it by developing their own ideas

Children's Environmental Action Plan for Europe
Aiming to implement the European strategy for healthy citizens through a healthy environment.

Children's Environmental Health - Budapest 2004
Children's environmental health was the focus of the 4. Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Budapest from 22. - 25. of June. WECF and Ecoforum took an acitve part in the outcome.

Children's Environmental Health Award 2010: "Protecting children's health in a changing environment"
Working towards the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Parma, Italy, 10-12 March 2010

Civil society and sound hazardous waste management, asbestos and POPs, in Kazakhstan

Eliminating toxic chemicals globally
Working to ensure that by 2020 all consumer products are free of hazardous chemicals

EU - Eco-efficiency and sustainable development
WECF project 'Eco-efficiency and sustainable development'

Greece - REACH Youth Event
REACH youth event Athens

Hungary - Our Common Future
WECF network conference in Budapest 2004 - 100 European women's leaders build capacity on participation in policy making

International Project Nesting - A healthy Environment for Healthy Children
helping parents to create a safe and healthy environment for their newborns

International Year of Sanitation
A lack of safe sanitary facilities, causing water pollution and disease is still a daily practice for 20 to 23 million Europeans within the European Union. WECF's work has put safe and affordable sustainable sanitation on the top of the European political agenda during the International Year of Sanitation 2008

Moldova - Democratization of the governance of the Dniester river basin
Local authorities, NGOs and citizen's communities work together in trans-boundary cooperation between Moldova, Transdniestria and Ukraine towards sustainable management of Dniester River Basin

Nuclear is not a solution to Climate Change
Nuclear industry is a threat to our health, our environment and human right

REACH - Eliminating toxic chemicals in the EU
Working to ensure that by 2020 all consumer products are free of hazardous chemicals

Romania - Safe drinking water
Developing a participatory democracy, creating a network of local environmental NGOs and implementing effective and reproducible small-scale projects for safe drinking water solutions.

Romania - Safe Sanitation, Health and Dignity
Implementation of dry urine diverting toilets and and waste water soil filters for schools and private households

Romania - Support programme for the Roma village Prislop
Supporting the Roma community in their basic needs: health, sanitation, infrastructure and schooling

Safe Toys Coalition
The “Safe Toys Coalition” aims to protect children’s health by striving for a world free of toxic and unsafe toys

The Netherlands - Our Toxic Free Future
Working towards a Toxic Free Future - getting ready for action.

Ukraine - Co-operation for Sustainable Rural Development
Involving citizens and local authorities in rural Ukraine in improvement of drinking water, sanitation and agriculture

Ukraine - Safe Sanitation, Health and Dignity
Implementation of dry urine diverting toilets and and waste water soil filters for schools and private households

Uzbekistan - Toxic Pollution in the Aral Sea Region
Research on toxins in the Aral Sea region: many years of DDT and other pesticide use shows up in mothermilk and cord blood.

WECF Germany: “Umweltgerechtigkeit von Geburt an" (Environmental justice right from the beginning)
A consultative program for deprived families and migrant families in the vicinity of Berlin and Munich

Women as the Voice for the Right to a Healthy Environment
WECF took part in the UNECE "Environment for Europe" Conference from October 10 - 12, 2007 in Belgrade, Serbia. And held its own network meeting in Belgrade.

World Summit on Sustainable Development
World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002 - pushing the gender issue.

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About WECF: Healthy Environment for all

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