Consultation on children’s health

The Health Protection Agency has published a consultation document on ways to improve the environment and health of children and young people in the UK. The consultation document on Children’s Environment and Health Strategy for the United Kingdom is being published on behalf of a UK intergovernmental group and the Agency seeks feedback from interested parties.

The main findings of the report are that while a range of activities have already led to a significant reduction in child death rates and ill health across the UK, there are still a number of areas which should be tackled. These include the impact of climate change on children, increasing concerns over obesity and air pollution.

The consultation document should be viewed alongside the Summary of Current Activities which Address Children’s Environment and Health Issues within the UK (http://www.hpa.org.uk/cehape/).

Comments and feedback on the Strategy should be sent to the CEHAPE consultation officer at cehape@hpa.org.uk no later than 13 June 2008. Respondents are encouraged to provide evidence, where appropriate, to support their responses. Receipt of all responses will be acknowledged.

Prof Pat Troop, chief executive of the Agency, said: “I welcome this strategy to protect the health of UK children from environmental hazards. By building on current initiatives, ensuring better coordination across Government departments and tackling locations such as schools, we can drive forward change for the benefit of today’s children and future generations.”

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