ISDE Italia News

edited by ISDE Italy
(International Society of Doctors for the Environment, Italy)

 

Number 340 (10th April 2009)

 

In this issue………

-                 First International Lorenzo Tomatis Conference on environment and cancer.

-                 1st European Congress on environmental pathologies.

-                 Healthy indoor environments protect children's health.

-                 WIT health and environment Conference.

-                 AAMMA/ISDE participation at the un WIT Conference.

-                 Health & society summer school at the university college of london (ucl).

-                 “Association between competing interests and authors' conclusions: epidemiological study of randomised clinical trials published in the BMJ” by L.L.Kjaergard, B.Als­Nielsen.

-                 “Biodiversity: its importance to human health” by E. Chivian.

-                 Sending the wrong signals: long-term health dangers posed by exposure to endocrine disruptors.

-                 Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Sciences (JTEHS).

-                 HECANET - December 2008- January 2009.

-                 New publications available on SAICM.

-                 Health & Environment Alliance newsletter: January 2009 issue.

-                 Health and Environment: a new newsletter from hcwh Europe.

-                 International Conference on environmental epidemiology: a tool for the environmental determinants of health.

 

FIRST INTERNATIONAL LORENZO TOMATIS CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND CANCER

An International Conference has been organized in Turin on 4th and 5th June 2009 to honour the memory of Lorenzo Tomatis, who studied medicine and started in Turin a long professional career which led him to the position of director of the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon from 1982 to 1993. In this role he encouraged and supported a broad spectrum of research themes, with a particular emphasis on the poorest countries, where he launched important programs on hepatitis B vaccination and research on HPV. The Conference covers various aspects in the field of cancer and society and some research themes in which Lorenzo Tomatis was directly involved in a leading role collaborating with several of the conference speakers. Speakers: John Cairns; Lucio Luzzatto; Rodolfo Saracci; Benedetto Terracini; Elio Riboli; Helmut Bartsch; Manolis Kogevinas; Ruggero Montesano; F. Merletti; Harri Vainio; Franco Cavalli; Chris Wild; Michel Coleman; Aaron Blair; Frederica Perera; Vilma Santana; Ron Melnick; Jonathan Samet; Paola Pisani. Topics: The process of carcinogenesis; Mutations in cancer; Occupational and environmental carcinogenesis; Biomarkers; Early life exposure to carcinogenesis; Developing countries; Cancer prevention and control; Cancer and society. Conference coordinators: Paolo Vineis, Rodolfo Saracci.

Info: www.ecnis.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1072&Itemid=83;
epidemiology@isi.it

 

1ST EUROPEAN CONGRESS ON ENVIRONMENTAL PATHOLOGIES

The National Interdisciplinary College for Health and Environment presents the 1st European Congress on Environmental Pathologies which will take place at the Zenith of Rouen, in France, on October 9th and 10th 2009. The congress will mobilize 1000 doctors, specialising in environmental health, general medicine, occupational medicine, academic medicine, public health, pulmonology, neurology, allergy, dermatology, oncology, endocrinology and nutrition who will all be involved in this great current debate. A high quality scientific programme will be led by leading European Experts in environmental disease. The objectives of the congress: to bring together our knowledge concerning the links between health and environment; to report current scientific debate; to inform the scientific community, notably the medical community about insidious pollution.

Info: www.ecep2009.eu; sbouchart@overcome.fr

 

HEALTHY INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS PROTECT CHILDREN'S HEALTH

Source: WHO/Europe Press Release, 28th January 2009.

The financial crisis could lead to greater use of cheap heating fuels and burning of waste at home, increasing risks to children’s health. This adds urgency to discussions taking place in preparation for the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in 2010. On 28–29 January 2009, European policy-makers are gathered in Luxembourg at the Thematic Meeting on Healthy Environments to recommend actions and policies to protect children’s health from poor indoor air quality, obesity and injuries. “There is increasing evidence that disputes the assumption that children are safe in their own homes,” says Dr Marc Danzon, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “For too long, health systems have not done enough to promote healthy indoor environments. Public health authorities must protect those most vulnerable to environmental health hazards, especially when more people are at risk due to the economic crisis.”

Info: www.euro.who.int/eprise/main/WHO/MediaCentre/PR/2009/20090126_1?language

 

WIT HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT CONFERENCE

World Information Transfer's 18th International Conference on Health and Environment: "Political Influence on Health and Environment Policies".  The Conference will be held at United Nations Headquarters, NY, on April 15th and 16th, 2009.  The Conference is free, but attendees must be registered.

Info: www.worldinfo.org

 

AAMMA/ISDE PARTICIPATION AT THE UN WIT CONFERENCE

18th International Conference on "Health and environment: global partners for global solutions. Political Influence on Health and Environment Policies" in United Nations Headquarters, New York City, on April 15 & 16, 2009, organized by World Information Transfer (WIT), co-sponsored by Government of Ukraine and New York Eye and Ear Hospital (NYEE), in Collaboration with WHO, NGLS, DESA NGO Section where will partimcipate Dr. Lilian Corra, Argentinean Society of Doctors for the Environment.

Info: lcisde@arnet.com.ar

 

HEALTH & SOCIETY SUMMER SCHOOL AT THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LONDON (UCL)

The summer school will be held at UCL which is located in central London, close to Regent's Park, the British Museum, the British Library and West End shops and theatres. The course is non-residential. You will need to arrange your own accommodation in London if necessary. However we have reserved rooms in College Hall, managed by the University of London. The summer school is designed for two types of participant: those who already work in the field of public health and who want to refresh their knowledge of population health, and those who are considering a career in public health or related research such as social epidemiology. The course is multi-disciplinary. These are the topics: Class, Work, Gender, Ethnicity, Socialbiological translation, Lifecourse epidemiology, Disability, inequality and human rights, Russian mortality crisis, Public health ethics, Politics of health and equity, Globalization and health and Inequalities in dental public health. Michael Marmot will open the summer school with a presentation on the social determinants of health and close the week with a lecture and discussion on national and international policy development.

Info: www.ucl.ac.uk/healthandsociety; graduateinfo@public-health.ucl.ac.uk

 

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN COMPETING INTERESTS AND AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF RANDOMISED CLINICAL TRIALS PUBLISHED IN THE BMJ by L.L.Kjaergard, B.Als­Nielsen.

Source: BMJ.

Objective To assess the association between competing interests and authors' conclusions in randomised clinical trials. Design Epidemiological study of randomised clinical trials published in the BMJ from January 1997 to June 2001. Financial competing interests were defined as funding by for profit organisations and other competing interests as personal, academic, or political. Studies 159 trials from 12 medical specialties. Main outcome measures Authors' conclusions defined as interpretation of extent to which overall results favoured experimental intervention. Conclusions appraised on 6 point scale; higher scores favour experimental intervention. Results Authors' conclusions were significantly more positive towards the experimental intervention in trials funded by for profit organisations alone compared with trials without competing interests (mean difference 0.48 (SE 0.13), P=0.014), trials funded by both for profit and non­profit organisations (0.30 (SE 0.10), P=0.003), and trials with other competing interests (0.45 (SE 0.13), P=0.006). Other competing interests and funding from both for profit and non­profit organisations were not significantly associated with authors' conclusions. The association between financial competing interests and authors' conclusions was not explained by methodological quality, statistical power, type of experimental intervention (pharmacological or non­pharmacological), type of control intervention (for example, placebo or active drug), or medical specialty. Conclusions Authors' conclusions in randomised clinical trials significantly favoured experimental interventions if financial competing interests were declared. Other competing interests were not significantly associated with authors' conclusions.

If you are interest at this article you can ask it to our secretariat at isde@ats.it

 

BIODIVERSITY: ITS IMPORTANCE TO HUMAN HEALTH by E. Chivian.

E.O.Wilson once said about ants “we need them to survive, but they don’t need us at all.” The same, in fact, could be said about countless other insects, bacteria, fungi, plankton, plants, and other organisms. This central truth, however, is largely lost to most of us. Rather, we act as if we were totally independent of Nature, as if it were an infinite source of products and services for our use alone, and an infinite sink for our wastes. This report was first conceived ten years ago at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro when the great promise of that event and its ambitious goals for controlling global climate change and conserving the world’s biodiversity were first elaborated. What was recognized then, and what is even more widely appreciated now, was that, in contrast to the issue of climate change, there was inadequate attention being paid to the potential consequences for human health resulting from species loss and the disruption of ecosystems. This general neglect of the relationship between biodiversity and human health, it was believed, was a very serious problem. Not only were the full human dimensions of biodiversity loss failing to inform policy decisions, but the general public, lacking an understanding of the health risks involved, was not grasping the magnitude of the biodiversity crisis, and not developing a sense of urgency to address it. Unfortunately, aesthetic, ethical, religious, even economic, arguments had not been enough to convince them.

If you are interest to this project you can ask it to our secretariat at isde@ats.it

 

SENDING THE WRONG SIGNALS: LONG-TERM HEALTH DANGERS POSED BY EXPOSURE TO ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS

When faced with fertility problems or Alzheimer’s, we don’t usually think about what we were exposed to in the womb – yet this may be from where problems such as these originate. When a foetus is developing, especially in the first trimester, undifferentiated cells are moving about, gaining function as they become limbs and organs. A precisely balanced and timed hormonal signalling system controls what grows where, when, and how. Chemical interference with this system, changing the quantities and effect of hormones and the times at which they are present, permanently alters the way organs develop. Generally, exposure to low doses of endocrine disrupting chemicals does not cause gross abnormalities visible at birth. Instead, it interferes with programming which occurs during development, creating disease susceptibilities in later life or subtle changes in organs which increase the likelihood of occurrence of a range of conditions. The current poster-child of hormone disruption is Bisphenol-A (BPA), routinely used in drink bottles, food tin linings and medical devices. It is of particular concern because it is so ubiquitous, acts on developing systems in so many ways, and has effects at very low levels. Equally significantly, the effects of BPA are dependent on when exposure occurs. If exposed to BPA after birth up to five days old, mammalian studies instead show that areas of the brain fail to develop typical gender differences and sex specific behaviours are eliminated. The implications for public health are ominous: endocrine-related disorders such as diabetes, autism and Parkinson’s disease have increased in prevalence since the 1970s. It is highly likely that the incidence of these conditions is influenced by chemical exposures in the womb. If we wait for further evidence, we are effectively making future generations part of an on-going experiment. Many interventions are available now. For example, education and planned pregnancy can allow parents (especially mothers) to minimise exposure to many chemicals before and during pregnancy. Ultimately, however, the burden falls on regulators to take precautions in the face of mounting evidence, to ensure phase-out of harmful chemicals in favour of less harmful alternatives. Steps are being taken but more action needs to be urged.

Info: www.endocrinedisruption.com

 

JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES (JTEHS)

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Sciences (JTEHS) publishes high-quality articles in English, in all areas of the subject. All papers published by JTEHS are peer reviewed. JTEHS is a very rapid response journal with an issue published every month. All articles published in JTEHS are peer-reviewed. The following types of papers are considered for publication: original articles in basic and applied research and critical reviews, surveys, opinions, commentaries and essays. Its objective is to inform authors of the decision on their manuscript(s) within four weeks of submission. Following acceptance, a paper will normally be published in the next issue.

Info: www.academicjournals.org/JTEHS; JTEHS@acadjourn.org

 

HECANET - DECEMBER 2008- JANUARY 2009

Issues are: HECA Developments; New UN-Water and World Water Day websites; Launch of UNICEF Humanitarian Action Report (HAR) 2009; The State of the World's Children 2009; World Malaria Report 2008; Preventable injuries kill 2000 children every day; New tools for strengthening national legal and policy frameworks to improve child and adolescent health; UNEP Releases Film Series Highlighting Adaptation Efforts in Africa; WHO receives funds for children's medicines research with UNICEF; Countries struggling to slow increase in child hunger; Children of the World: multimedia production about children's point of view on our common earth; Climate Change and Children: A Human Security Challenge; Nonfatal, Unintentional, Non-Fire-Related Carbon Monoxide Exposures: United States, 2004—2006; Global Health Meeting Highlights International Partnerships; Healthy indoor environments protect children’s health.

Info: http://www.who.int/heca/infomaterials/hecanet_newsletter_dec_2008_jan_2009.pdf

 

NEW PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE ON SAICM

NEW PUBLICATIONS are AVAILABLE on the IPEN website: "NGO Guide to SAICM" and "NGO Guide to POPs".

Info: http://www.ipen.org/campaign/education.html

 

HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT ALLIANCE NEWSLETTER: JANUARY 2009 ISSUE

The table of contents is "Environment and Health Policy", "About us & our members", "Mercury and health", "Chemicals", "Pesticides", "Climate Change", Air Quality", "Public Participation", "Environmental diseases". There are also more issues, recent press releases and recent publications and reports.

Info: info@env-health.org

 

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT: A NEW NEWSLETTER FROM HCWH EUROPE

Short, easy to digest and published monthly, it will provide: "Analysis of key environmental health issues" and "Worldwide coverage of developments in green healthcare". Links to the latest news and best environmental health science. In the first issue it will be exploring the concept of developmental windows and what they mean for life-long health.

Info: http://hcwh-newsletter.ecn.cz/

 

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY: A TOOL FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

The first "International Conference on Environmental Epidemiology" took place last March 5th at the National Academy of Medicine, Buenos Aires, Argentina. This conference was organized to share experiences on the role of the environmental epidemiology as a tool for Public Health polices and to promote research on the environmental burden of diseases. The event was acompanied by a crowd audience of 188 assistants which included governmental representatives of the Ministry of Health, Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development, Secretary of Environment and Health of the City of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires province, Santa Fe and Cordoba, and from the National Congress. There were also representatives from the different Hospitals of the City and province of Buenos Aires, National Universities, members of the Argentine Society of Pediatrics, different professionals and NGOs involved in this topic, among others. Main speakers: Dr. Prof. Philip Landrigan, Director of Children´s Environmental Health Center of Mount Sinai School od Medicine (New York, USA). Collegium Ramazzinni President (Bologna, Italy); Dr. Jenny Pronczuk, Department of Public Health and Environment, World Health Organization, WHO (Geneva, Switzerland); ScD MHP Kathleen M. McCarty, Department of Environmental Sciences, Division of Epidemiology and Public Health at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven (USA); Dr. Daniel Beltramino, Sub Commission on Children Environmental Health, Argentine Society of Pediatrics (Argentina). The event was organized by Institute of Epidemiological Research of the National Academy of Medicine, Argentina; Asociación Argentina de Médicos por el Medio Ambiente (AAMMA); International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE); Under the technical cooperation of the World Health Organization (WHO) / Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO).

Info: http://www.epidemiologia.anm.edu.ar/memorias/2009/epi_ambiental.asp

 

This newsletter is ISDE Italy's Official Press Organ edited by Roberto Romizi e Silvia Caruso.

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Past numbers are available in the ISDE Italy website www.isde.it

International Society of Doctors for the Environment - ISDE Italy

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Tel. +39 0575 22256, Fax +39 057528676, E-mail: isde@ats.it