International Congress ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH International Society of Doctors for the Environment – ISDE 20th Anniversary 19-20 November 2010 Auditorium Aldo Ducci, Arezzo Municipality, Via Cesalpino 53 – Arezzo   SIMULTANEOUS TRANSLATION TO/FROM ENGLISH   Under the sponsorship of the Arezzo Municipality

The International Society of Doctors for Environmen (ISDE) was created in 1990 in Cortona, Italy in response to the determination of strengthening the commitment of medical doctors to the safeguard of the environment. The main objectives of ISDE are: the recovery of the ethical role of the medical profession, the promotion of the commitment to the protection of the environment, to privilege measures of primary prevention, to inform and involve patients, colleagues, students, teachers as well all citizens on environmental issues, to have a role in establishing solid and efficient links between scientific societies, research centers, governmental and non governmental associations on key issues related to Environment and Health. (Tomatis L. GEA, European Journal of Aerobiology and Environmental Medicine 2006)

Global health. A globalized, interdependent world, characterised by the increasing movement of individuals and populations – and where disease recognises no borders – means that health has become a global issue. Global health is determined by factors which themselves often show scant respect for national boundaries – such as international trade, climate change, pollution, conflicts, environmental degradation and poverty. Our responsibility is to harness the opportunities of globalisation to improve the health of people across the world.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide: it accounted for 7.9 million deaths (around 13% of all deaths) in 2007. Lung, stomach, liver, colon and breast cancer cause the most cancer deaths each year.  Deaths from cancer worldwide are projected to continue rising, with an estimated 12 million deaths in 2030. Yet about 30% of these deaths can be prevented. Cancer arises as the result of the interaction between a person's genetic factors and three categories of external agents, including: physical carcinogens, such as ultraviolet, ultrafine particles and ionizing radiation; chemical carcinogens, such as asbestos, components of tobacco smoke, aflatoxin (a food contaminant) and heavy metals as arsenic (a drinking water contaminant); biological carcinogens, such as infections from certain viruses, bacteria or parasites. Recently some International Agency for Research on Cancer researchers used the large European database of childhood and adolescent cancer cases to estimate patterns and trends of incidence and survival within Europe: analysis of 113,000 cancers in children and over 18,000 cancers in adolescents during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s showed how the incidence rates of cancer increased by around 1% for children and 1.5% for adolescents per year. The increases were recorded for virtually all tumor types in children, while in adolescents the major changes were seen for carcinomas, lymphomas, soft tissue sarcomas, germ-cell and CNS tumors. These results are clear evidence of an increase of cancer incidence in childhood and adolescence during the past decades, and of an acceleration of this trend.  We should not forget that  cancer is a preventable disease. The true challenge is primary prevention: since the “War on Cancer” was declared in 1971, we have never engaged the real enemy – carcinogens: a real decrease in cancer incidence can and must be achieved by eliminating carcinogens from the air we breathe, the water we drink, the products we use, our places of work, and the food we eat. Safe and healthy environments, free of cancer-causing substances, should be the birthright of all our children

Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) is bringing new insights into the pathogenesis of disease. We have understood that poor fetal growth, small size at birth and embryo-fetal stress are followed by increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, tumors. This has led to the hypothesis that these disorders originate in utero through unbalanced nutrition, maternal stress, chemical toxic burden. DOHaD is now a burgeoning research area in both basic and clinical sciences: if so many diseases are found to be triggered by foetal (environmental) perturbations then concerted efforts need to be made to prevent such diseases before subsequent generations are adversely affected.

Every body should be aware that children are the most vulnerable and exposed to contamination by a lot of dangerous pollutants; that a great number of these substances or toxic products are transported across the placenta and pass to the foetus; that many of these chemical accumulate in human adipose tissue and are then found in breast-feeding mothers’ milk; that, in addition, children can ingest and/or inhale these substances or products even in their own homes. For all these reasons ISDE has struggled for 20 years ISDE all over the world for children right not to be polluted.

Yet we must believe that the world now stands at the most opportune moment imaginable for reaching these global health goals and the eight Millennium Development Goals (ranging from halving extreme poverty and hunger, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and combating HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria to providing universal primary education and ensuring environmental sustainability, that form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions in 2000) and for mobilising a global alliance dedicated to achieving a breakthrough in human development based on specific actions for children.

Friday 19 November

 Saturday 20 November

Organisational Secretariat:

 ISDE Scientific Office

 ISDE Italy

Via della Fioraia 17/19 – 52100 Arezzo

Tel. 0575-22256; Fax 0575-28676

Web: www.isde.it; E-mail: isde@ats.it

Special Thanks for Financial Support to

FONDAZIONE GIUSEPPE E ADELE BARACCHI

Viale F.Turati 84 - 52011 Bibbiena (AR)

C.F. 94002370511

BANCA POPOLARE DI CORTONA

Via Guelfa 4 - 52044 Cortona (AR)

ROTARY CLUB AREZZO

Via Guido Monaco 65 - 52100 (AR)