Indicators of Childrenʼs Health and the Environment in North America

Abstract

SAB5-O-07 Introduction: The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), in partnership with public health organizations and the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, released in January 2006 the first-ever report on children's health and environment indicators for North America. Materials and Methods: The CEC, the International Joint Commission, the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States collaborated in the development and selection of the children's environmental health indicators and the release of this report. The presentation will describe the collaborative process followed to select appropriate indicators of children's environmental health in North America, data gathering and harmonization, and the main findings of the report. Results: The report presents 13 indicators under 3 thematic areas: asthma and respiratory disease, effects of exposure to lead and other toxic substances, and water-borne diseases. It finds that North American children remain at risk from environmental exposures and that children's health reporting must be improved to address the data gaps identified in the report. Only one of the indicators, addressing asthma in children, was fully reported by all 3 countries. These data show a rising number of childhood asthma cases across North America. One possible contributor is outdoor air pollution, such as ground-level ozone and particulate matter, which remains a problem for all 3 countries. In Mexico, exposure to smoke from indoor burning of wood or charcoal is also a problem, as 18% of the country's population continued to burn biomass for cooking and heating in 2000. For lead exposure, case studies from all 3 countries demonstrate improvements in children's blood lead levels due to interventions such as the removal of lead from gasoline. However, there is little biomonitoring data available in Canada since there has been no national blood level survey in the country since 1978. Other exposure pathways for lead remain a concern, such as older homes with lead-based paint. Recently collected data in the United States show that 25% of homes have a “significant lead-based paint hazard, which could be from deteriorating paint, contaminated dust or contaminated soil outside the house.” Finally, information is also presented on indicators of water quality and sanitation. Conclusions: Based on the findings of the report, recommendations for health surveillance, environmental monitoring, and research on the health effects of children's exposure to environmental hazards in North America are discussed.