Many chronic and acute diseases – such as cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes and obesity and also mental illnesses – are caused by or worsened by pollution in our present and past environments.
HEAL works with Global organisations like WHO and UNEP, European institutions and organisations as well as national decision-makers and partners to prevent this environmental burden of disease by stronger policy action.
Mid-term review of the FREIA project: updates and next steps on how novel research is helping identify endocrine disrupting chemicals that harm female reproductive health
14th March 2023
To mark the start of the final stages of FREIA, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) has teamed up with the research project to launch a review of its main findings and milestones of research into the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on female reproductive health thus far.
The ATHLETE project holds its fifth consortium meeting – updates on exposome research and early life exposure
10th February 2023
Around 140 researchers representing 23 different partners from 12 countries gathered in Barcelona, Spain and online for the fifth annual consortium meeting of ATHLETE, an EU-funded project that aims to better understand how our environment can impact human health from pregnancy to adolescence by studying the human exposome.
HEAL contributor to WHO Europe roadmap on reducing noncommunicable diseases
13th January 2023
In December 2020, the Regional Director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe established the…
HEAL General Assembly 2022
13th December 2022
For the first time since 2019, HEAL members came together in person in Brussels again,…
HEAL at WHO Bonn Dialogue on Environment and Health: risk communication for environment and health
20th October 2022
HEAL’s Anne Stauffer spoke at the fourth of a series of high-level Bonn Dialogues on…
Letter to European Commission: Civil society vision on how the EU can deliver the European Green Deal and address the multiple crises we face
14th October 2022
The Green 10 wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Vice President Frans Timmermans, Vice President Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, Commissioners Thierry Breton and Virginijus Sinkevičius to express their concern that the Commission’s Letter of Intent listing priority initiatives for 2023 failed to mention a number of the priority legislative files expected for the European Commission to publish in 2023 based on earlier plans by the European Commission.
HEAL’s vision for Europe leading the way towards a non-toxic environment
7th June 2018
The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) today released its vision for Europe leading the transition…
Climate mitigation is win-win for public health
25th May 2016
A new publication in German by HEAL aims to shed light on a neglected topic…
Breast Cancer: Preventing the preventable
14th April 2008
This leaflet briefly describes the evidence that hormonally active chemicals may be implicated in breast cancer.
Breast Cancer: Factors influencing the risk of breast cancer – established and emerging
14th April 2008
This briefing summarises the key information on all the risk factors and breast cancer with particular focus on the potential role of certain chemicals in the environment.
How PFAS chemicals affect women, pregnancy and human development: Health actors call for urgent action to phase them out
25th May 2021
The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) have published a fact sheet and infographic to call for immediate action against “forever chemicals”, to protect reproductive health, fertility and human development.
EU should ban brain-harming chlorpyrifos to protect health
1st August 2018
Today, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) together with Générations Futures, Pesticide Action Network Europe…
HEAL fact sheet – Chronic disease and environment
13th September 2011
In lieu of the European Parliament voting on a Resolution on the EU position and commitment in advance to the UN high-level meeting on the prevention and control of non-communicable disease, HEAL produced a fact sheet titled ’Chronic disease: How do environmental factors play a role?’
HEAL and European Cancer Leagues relaunch infographic illustrating how Europe can prevent cancer by tackling environmental pollutants
25th May 2022
To mark the start of the European Week Against Cancer 2022, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and the European Cancer Leagues (ECL) have teamed up to relaunch an infographic telling the story behind environmental cancer prevention.
How does early-life exposure to environmental pollutants affect our health? New flyer and video from the ATHLETE project
10th June 2021
Have you ever wondered whether and how our everyday environment and activities affect our health? The ATHLETE project is designed to answer these questions by studying the Human Exposome – the totality of environmental exposures from conception to adulthood. Today we are excited to launch a new flyer and video to present the key activities of our research project.
Mutualités Libres and HEAL launch infographic illustrating 10 tips to avoid endocrine disruptors in and around your home
19th November 2020
Results from a new survey published by the Belgian Independent Health Insurance Funds (Mutualités Libres…
FIGO, UCSF and HEAL share 10 tips to avoid toxic chemicals during and after pregnancy
27th July 2020
The Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), the University of California – San Francisco (UCSF) and the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) have launched easy-to-use infographics for obstetricians, gynecologists and health groups to create awareness around toxic chemicals and pregnancy in a one-week social media campaign.
HEAL and European Cancer Leagues launch infographic illustrating how Europe can prevent cancer by tackling environmental pollutants
25th May 2020
To mark the start of the European Week Against Cancer 2020, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and the European Cancer Leagues (ECL) have teamed up to launch an infographic telling the story behind environmental cancer prevention.
Letter to European Commission: Civil society vision on how the EU can deliver the European Green Deal and address the multiple crises we face
14th October 2022
The Green 10 wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Vice President Frans Timmermans, Vice President Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, Commissioners Thierry Breton and Virginijus Sinkevičius to express their concern that the Commission’s Letter of Intent listing priority initiatives for 2023 failed to mention a number of the priority legislative files expected for the European Commission to publish in 2023 based on earlier plans by the European Commission.
Green 10 letter to EU Commission Executive Vice-President Timmermans on REPowerEU package and environmental roll-back
17th May 2022
The Green 10 have written to Vice-President Timmermans in advance of the publication of the…
Joint letter: taxonomy complementary delegated act
28th January 2022
The Green 10, of which HEAL is part of, together with other groups has written…
Glyphosate: Health and cancer groups ask France to publicly clarify contradictory position regarding the health effects of the world’s top-selling herbicide
4th November 2021
Is France making a dangerous U-turn on its position on glyphosate?
In an open letter published today, HEAL, the Association of European Cancer Leagues and La Ligue contre le Cancer urge the French government to publicly clarify its position regarding the health risks posed by the substance.
Letter – Advancing on the zero pollution ambition, especially in recovery financing and investments, under the Portuguese Presidency
29th January 2021
HEAL has sent a letter to the Portuguese presidency of the European Union, calling for…
European Parliament recognises the European Green Deal as a significant contributing factor to cancer prevention in Europe
17th February 2022
The European Parliament has adopted its non-legislative report responding to the publication of the EU Commission 2021 communication on Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, recognising the EU Green Deal is a key tool to limit people’s exposure to pollution and prevent cancer.
How ATHLETE research on the Human Exposome offers tools for lifelong disease prevention and policy action: New overview article in Journal of Environmental Epidemiology
25th January 2022
A new overview paper in the Journal of Environmental Epidemiology connects the dots on how the ATHLETE project's research on the Human Exposome offers advanced tools for lifelong disease prevention and policy action.
Glyphosate: Health and cancer groups ask France to publicly clarify contradictory position regarding the health effects of the world’s top-selling herbicide
4th November 2021
Is France making a dangerous U-turn on its position on glyphosate?
In an open letter published today, HEAL, the Association of European Cancer Leagues and La Ligue contre le Cancer urge the French government to publicly clarify its position regarding the health risks posed by the substance.
HEAL reaction to the European Commission’s Zero Pollution Action Plan
12th May 2021
Today, the Commission published its Zero Pollution Action Plan for air, water and soils (ZPAP).…
If Europe really wants to beat cancer, it needs to drastically reduce environmental pollutants and action its Zero Pollution ambition
3rd February 2021
Today the European Commission launched the Beating Cancer Plan, marking the beginning of a new era in cancer prevention. The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) has welcomed the ambitious plan as a major step forward to prevent cancer by preventing pollution.
Survey shows almost 50% of Belgians are unaware of health-harming endocrine disrupting chemicals in daily lives
19th November 2020
Results from a new survey published by the Belgian Independent Health Insurance Funds (Mutualités Libres / Onafhankelijke Ziekenfondsen) reveal nearly half of Belgian citizens have little knowledge of what endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are and how they can impact our health.
Non-Communicable Diseases and Environmental Determinants
29th August 2013
This briefing paper aims to provide latest knowledge on Non Communicable Diseases from some of the leading experts and organisations from four perspectives: women’s organisations, health sector, developing countries and trade unions.
Unpaid Health Bill – how coal power plants make us sick
7th March 2013
In March 2013, HEAL launched the first ‘Unpaid Health Bill – How coal power plants…
Breast Cancer and exposure to hormonally active chemicals: An appraisal of the scientific evidence
12th April 2008
The report provides a review of the scientific evidence that certain chemicals may be implicated in breast cancer, and focuses on the role of hormone disrupting chemicals.
