2nd WHOUNEPADB High Level Meeting on Health

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2nd WHO/UNEP/ADB High Level Meeting on Health
Environmentin ASEAN and East Asian
CountriesUpdates from the First HLM

• Lokman Hakim S, MD, PhD
• Environmental Health Research Center
• Institute for Medical Research
• Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
• Dec 2005

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Content

• Health Environment Institutional Mechanism
• Environmental Health Forum
• National Environmental Health Action Plan (NEHAP)
• Information Sharing
• Issues and Challenges

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Health Environment Institutional Mechanism

• The process/directive flow

CABINET
National Disaster Management Committees
Policy and Programme Development
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Health Environment Institutional Mechanism
(Policy Programme Development)
Policy and Programme Development
Malaysia 5 years Developmental Plan (Ministries)
New Policy Prog. Cross Cutting Issues (TWGs)
Existing Programmes DWTC, POP, climate change
Etc.
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Health Environment Institutional Mechanism
(Policy Programme Development)

• MOH invited into TWG for DOE Policy Programme
  development for the 9th Malaysia Plan (
  2006-2010)
• Sustainable environment
• Biodiversity natural resources
• Consultative forum involving various stakeholders
  including NGOs
• MOH represented by EHRC, Engineering, Disease
  Control Food Divisions
• Adopted into 9th MP
• Oil Trap Mandatory beginning 2006 - MOLG
• Environmental Health Indicators MOH/MONRE
• Ecology and zoonotic infections WLD/MOH

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Public consultation

• Is generally recognised and practice as an
  important mechanism for interested individual to
  voice their opinions, views and concerns
• New bills/regulations
• e.g. Sin tax on tobacco, biodiversity bill
• Environmental Impact Assessment Report
• Health assessment as part of the EIA
• Open for public review comments
• e.g. Marina Development in Tioman Island

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Health Environment Institutional Mechanism
(Existing Programmes)

• National Committees Program
• Drinking Water Technical Committee (DWTC)
• Chaired by MOH (Engineering Division)
• Members Include DOE, DID, Local Council etc
• National Committee on Zoonotic Diseases
• Chaired by MOH (Disease Control Division)
• Members include MOA, MITI, MOLG, etc.
• Aftermath Nipah outbreak in 1999, handle SARS,
  Avian Flu
• Pesticide Boards
• Chaired by Department of Agricultural
• Members include MOH, Research Institutes,
  Academics

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Health Environment Institutional Mechanism
(Existing Programmes)

• International Convention and Agreement
• National Coordinating Committee of Persistent
  Organic Pollutants (POP)
• Chaired by Department of Environment
• Members Include MOH, MITI, MHR, National poison
  center etc
• National Committee on Biodiversity
• Chaired by MONRE
• Members MOH, MOSTI, MOA, etc
• Climate Change National Communication
• Chaired by MONRE
• Members include MOH, DOE, FRIM, National Energy
  Centre, Malaysia Meteorological Services

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Health Environment Institutional Mechanism
(Disaster Management)
National Disaster Management Committees
Management Mitigation
National Sub-Committees (Haze, Flood, Avian
Flu, Tsunami etc)
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Health Environment Institutional Mechanism
(Disaster Management)

• National Disaster Relief Management Committee
  chaired by Deputy Prime Minister, members include
  Internal Security, Defense, MOH, Transport,
  International Trade Industry, Domestic
  Consumer Affair, Education, Information, Local
  Government, etc.
• National Haze Sub-Committee chaired by Ministry
  of Natural Resources Environment. Members
  include MOH, Transport, International Trade
  Industry, Domestic Consumer Affair, Education,
  Info, Civil Aviation, DOE, MMS and City hall.

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National Environmental Health Forum

• 1996 Healthy Cities
• 1997 Environmental Health Research Needs
  priorities
• 1998 Water Quality Management Future
  Strategies Towards a National Plan
• 2000 NEHAP- A Malaysian Approach
• 2001 The Progress of NEHAP
• 2002 EH Research Current Issues Research to
  Practice in EH
• 2003 Research Development Strategies in
  Environmental Health for Sustainable
  Development
• 2004 Environmental Health Indicators
• 2005 Current Issues in Occupational Health

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National Environmental Health Action Plan (NEHAP)

• Introduced during the National Environmental
  Health Forum in 2000
• This led to the development of MOHEHAP
• Technical Working Groups (TWG)
• Promotional Health
• Environmental and Health Information System
• Institutional and Legislation Framework
• Training Needs
• Environmental Health Research
• Healthy Setting

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Information Sharing

• A study on Development of a National System for
  Dissemination of Information on Environmental
  Hazards by EHRC
• Assessed information use in EH at all levels of
  government
• Various areas of change in information
  collection, management and dissemination in EH
  were identified
• Further addressed in National Workshop on the
  Development of Environmental Health Indicator in
  2004

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Issues Challenges

• Personnel transfer turn over in various
  agencies
• Compartmentalization in various agencies
• The need to further strengthen the integration
  and harmonization of environment and health

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Check list of action National Level