HEAL was honoured to host renowned epidemiologist Dr. Shanna Swan in Brussels in May 2025. She met with different stakeholders to discuss impact of pollution to reproductive health. To specifically assess sperm decline, Dr. Swan has examined hundreds of scientific studies and conducted her own, which all indicate that sperm count is declining globally. This is the case even when controlling for all variables such as genetic and lifestyle factors.
The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) underlines the current unpreparedness of coal power plants in the Western Balkans to meet emission standards ahead of a European Parliament Industry, Research and Energy Committee meeting with the Energy Community.
HEAL’s briefing on the implementation of Large Combustion Plants Directive: ’Boosting Health By Improving Air Quality in the Balkans’ shows that cutting down air pollution from Western Balkan coal power plants as of 2018 could result in 6,460 lives saved each year, if emission limits that need to be achieved by 2028 would be applied.