Chemistry International
Vol. 22, No. 2
March 2000
New
Books and Publications
New
Publication from the World Health Organization
Environmental Health Services in Europe 4.
Guidance on the Development of Educational and Training Curricula (WHO
Regional Publications, European Series No. 84) by Martin Fitzpatrick
and Xavier Bonnefoy, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
1998, viii + 198 pages (available in English only), ISBN 92-890-1350-8,
CHF 45.-/USD 40.50; In developing countries: CHF 31.50, Order No. 1310084.
The commitment made by the Member States of the WHO European Region
to developing their environmental health services is gradually bearing
fruit. The seeds of this commitment were sown over the last two decades
through the European regional policy for health for all. This was followed
up by the First European Conference on Environment and Health, held
in Frankfurt-am-Main in 1989, which identified the groundbreaking principles
underpinning environmental health in the European Charter on Environment
and Health. The Second European Conference, in Helsinki in 1994, proved
to be a watershed in the development of environmental health services
in the Region, presenting a clear path forward that all Member States
could follow through the development of national environmental health
action plans (NEHAPs).
It was clear that the countries would need support in developing and
implementing NEHAPs, and the Regional Office therefore developed a project
to produce a series of publications dealing with all aspects of environmental
health services management. The first in the series provided an overview
of how services are managed throughout the Region, and the second dealt
with the variety of policy options that Member States might consider
in organizing those services. The third book (WHO Regional Publications,
European Series, No. 82) concentrated on the staffing of environmental
health services. This fourth volume, which is a companion to the third,
provides practical assistance in the education and training of environment
and health professionals. This assistance includes identifying relevant
learning objectives, developing appropriate teaching methodologies,
and proposing a range of curricula for various levels of professionals.
There was tremendous interest on the part of Member States and educational
institutes in the development of this publication. The result is a book
that is grounded in the realities of Member States who are endeavoring
to equip their environment and health professionals to deal with the
rapidly changing world in which they work. It also attempts to facilitate
environment and health service providers and educational institutions
in developing a common understanding of how to address the needs of
these professionals.