The Health & Environment Alliance and the Center for Environmental Policy and Law (CEPL), a HEAL member, have launched a new report entitled “Making the Case for Environmental Justice in Central and Eastern Europe” accompanied by a brochure on "Environmental justice: Listening to Women and Children".

“Making the Case for Environmental Justice in Central and Eastern Europe” provides sound support for the assertion that poor and ethnically marginalised people in Central and Eastern Europe, especially women and children, are more exposed to environmental hazards than majority populations. They are also more likely to lack access to water, sewerage and other environmental benefits. This situation is further exacerbated by inadequate access to health care. Case studies describe the death of a two year-old from lead poisoning, high rates of birth abnormalities, and an ominously quick succession of child deaths from cancer attributed to the environmental conditions in which they live.

But the report is not without hope. It says that investing in the poorest and minority groups provides huge opportunities for improving child health in Europe. This would mean clean-ups of contaminated areas; greater support for local groups; and stronger engagement with the women in marginalized communities because women take most of the responsibility for family health. Policies and laws that simultaneously improve the environment and combat discrimination can significantly improve children’s health.

For a paper copy of the report please contact the HEAL secretariat.

Useful links/resources

 UNDP:“At Risk: Roma and the Displaced in Southeast Europe” United Nations Development Programme, Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, Bratislava. Website: http://europeandcis.undp.org/

 WHO:“25 Questions and Answers on Health and Human Rights”, “Health and freedom from discrimination”, "The Right to Health" Cartoon - World Health Organization, Health and Human Rights Publication Series

 UNICEF: Children’s right to water (from Convention on the Rights of the Child)

Youth water project

The many faces of poverty project, Research on child poverty in Serbia, and Report on the results of the Participatory Research on Poverty Affected children in Montenegro

Landmines project in Bosnia and Herzegovina