Activities and research plans related to Ecoinformatics

Ecoinformatics2006Ispra, JRC, 19 January 2006

DG SANCO Health Information UnitArtur FURTADO

Contents

The importance of Ecoinformatics

The role of SANCO

Ecoinformatics

Bridge between Information science and Environment, easing both research and management

Management of natural systems data (heterogeneous, scattered and uncoordinated)Access and integration of databases of environmental informationDefinition of entities and processes of natural systems in a language that computers can process (research in knowledge representation and semantics)Use of predictive models, analytical and planning tools

The Public Health Programme

Previous support for health monitoring now integrated in the Information strand of the PHP(former health monitoring, cancer, rare diseases, pollution-related diseases and injury prevention programmes)

Reliable, up-to-date and comparable information in a single accessible system

Eurostat (mortality and morbidity statistics) and the Lisbon (drugs), Copenhagen (environment) and Stockholm (communicable diseases) agencies have monitoring mandates [WHO, OECD]

Information strand objectives

Develop health indicators

Analyze and report on the health status

Provide information to citizens

Increase the evidence basis for policy making

Establish a sustainable health monitoring system

How SANCO and the EU PHP can help

Related activities under SANCO

Information diffusionon-line reporting of comparable data and indicators

http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_information/dissemination/echi/echi_en.htm

Project support

http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_projects/2002/monitoring/monitoring_2002_01_en.htm

Working Party Environment and Health

http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_information/implement/wp/events_wp_en.htm

Information diffusion

Project reports placed on the Europa server160 + translated paper copies (available in some cases)Special reports on2002/3health status, nutrition, accidents and injuries2004 mental health, rare diseases2005 alcohol (due)

Conferences organisedCardiovascular disease, eHealth, workplace health, mental health rare diseases, health impact assessment

Public health Portal

Public health portal

Adding to the Europa server, a public health portal will be launched in April 2006

Providing an across the board picture of health issues at Community level

Funded under the PHP, with support from the IDA (interchange of data between administrations) programme

Linking to national and regional websites and involving civil society

EU Public Health portal

Operating structures

Network of Competent AuthoritiesRepresentatives of health authorities monitor the information strand

Seven working partiesIndicators, environment and health, mental health, accidents and injuries, lifestyles, mortality and morbidity, health systems

Health and Environment WPForum for H&E information and information needsH&E contractors, stakeholders, incl. international organisations and NGO [DG ENV, EEA and WHO]

Project support in related fields

Short list of Community Health IndicatorsOn-line and regularly update

Lisbon Strategy Healthy Life years indicatorOn-line and reported in the Spring Report

The example of the ECOHIS project

Development of Environment and Health Indicators for EU Countries2002-2004

Establish and validate a set of E&H indicators for EU

2 of indicators (PM10; road traffic injuries) included in ECHI short list http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_information/dissemination/echi/echi_en.htm

All (17) included in ECHI long list

The example of the ENHIS2 project

Establishment of Environmental Health Information System Supporting Policy MakingWHO European Centre for E&H coordination

Implement an information system to identify and prioritise environmental health problems, monitor policy effects and facilitate inter-country comparisons and time trends analysis

Based on a set of E&H indicators and health impact assessment methods, it will contribute to an European E&H information system(4th Ministerial Conference on E&H, Budapest, 2004)

The example of the ENHIS2 project

Kick-start of the projectConnecting different data sourcesTechnical and institutional coordination

WHO (project coordinator)Involving cooperation between Eurostat, JRC, EEA,DG Env and DG Sanco

New projects - Call 2005

The impact of the 2003 heat wave on the EU populationRegional centre for fight against cancer, FR€ 300 k

Prioritization of building materials as indoor pollutionUniversity of West Macedonia€ 1 m

New projects - Call 2005

European system of urban indicatorsUniversity of Manchester€ 1,4 m

2006 agenda under the PHP

Work plan 2006High level of human health protection, through all EU policiesSelf-sustained coordination of policies among MS

Implement the European Environment and Health Action Plan 2004-2010 (PH aspects) - work on indoor air quality and report on the 1999 EMF Recommendation

Operate WG on environment and health to obtain operational indicators

In brief

Ecoinformatics as tool to better understand environment-health interactions

SANCO with keen interest in seeing research developed on the subject, with a Public Health perspective

More at

http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_information/information_en.htm

Activities and research plans related to Ecoinformatics

Ecoinformatics2006Ispra, JRC, 19 January 2006

DG SANCO Health Information UnitArtur FURTADO

Back up slides

Former programmes

172 promotion projects, 5 mental health projects running for 2.4M€

EUPHIN: 1 running contract for 500,000€

54 health monitoring projects, 21 running for 6.4M€

24 rare diseases projects, 15 running for 2.4M€

82 injury prevention projects, 20 running for 2.9M€

A total of 62 running projects, 14.79M€

2005 funding round

18 Projects were selected for an amount of € 11.8 m were accepted

4 additional projects were selected on accidents and injuries and mental health for an amount of € 3.6 m

Several tenders were launched for Eurobarometers during 2005

Health Determinants Strand

A EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR

EXPOSURE AND DISEASE MAPPING AND RISK ASSESSMENT (EUROHEIS)

Objectives

Improve health information and health information system for exposure disease mapping and risk assessment

Status of project: finishedFunded: 1999 – 2003Coordinated by: Imperial college of Science UK

Projects on air quality

A EUROPEAN INFORMATION SYSTEM ON AIR POLLUTION AND HEALTH (APHEIS)

Objectives

to assess the health impact of air pollution in 26 cities. The study showed that pollution

continues to threaten public health and that even small reductions in air-pollution levels have clear health benefits. The next phase

will be to try to bridge the gap between research findings and decision making

Status of project: finishedFunded: 2000 – 2002Coordinated by: Institute de Veille Sanitaire FR

Projects on indoor air quality

TOWARDS HEALTHY AIR IN DWELLINGS IN EUROPE (THADE)

Objectives

to produce maps of pollutants in dwellings, and to review data, cost-effective measures and technology,

quality in dwellings, and legislation and guidelines on air pollution, recommend a strategy for implementation

Status of project: finishedFunded: 2001 – 2003Coordinated by: European federation of Asthma and Allergy FI

Projects on air quality

CRICTICAL APPRAISAL OF THE SETTING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF INDOOR EXPOSURE

LIMITS IN THE EU –INDEX-

Objectives

To create a network of European leading scientists in the area of indoor air pollution and herewith associatedhealth impacts in order to identify priorities and assess

the need for a Community strategy and action plan

Status of project: OngoingFunded: 2002 – 2004Coordinated by: JRC

Projects co-funded under Call 2005

Prioritization of building materials as indoor pollution

Study of an impact of the heatwave 2003 on European people

Why Ecoinformatics matters