A growing number of diseases in children from rural and urban areas are linked to unsafe, degraded environments. However, many health care providers are unable to recognize, assess and manage environmentally-related diseases in children.

How should this problem be addressed?Enabling those “in the front line” - the health professionals dealing with children and adolescents' health - to recognize and assess diseases linked to, or triggered by environmental factors. Paediatricians, family doctors, nurses, primary and other health care workers should be trained on the relationships between children's health and the environment through the use of harmonized training materials. These are adapted to the specific needs of countries and professional groups.

What are the benefits of training health care providers?• Increased understanding about the influence of environmental factors on children’s health• Improved diagnosis and management of health and developmental effects• Capacity to discuss environmental risks with patients, parents, educators and the media• Advocacy skills for sensitizing decision-makers about high priority issues for action• Enhanced potential for research What is the WHO Training Package for Health Care Providers?A collection of over 40 modules with internationally harmonized information and peer-reviewed materials to enable health care workers to be trained, and also to become trainers of their peers and colleagues. The modules include extensive notes and references, and case studies. These will be supported by self-evaluation tools, backed up by manuals and guidelines. A selected team of experienced professionals from over 15 countries, the International Pediatric Association (IPA), Children's Health, Environment, and Safety Training (CHEST) and selected NGOs are participating in its preparation.

What issues are covered?• The special vulnerability of children to physical, chemical and biological environmental

threats• The health and developmental effects of specific chemical, physical and biological hazards (e.g. pesticides, persistent toxic pollutants –POPs- , lead, arsenic, radiation, noise, moulds, other) present in specific settings (e.g. home and surroundings, school, recreation areas, workplace, fields, other)• Sources, routes and mechanisms of exposure (contaminants in air, water, food, cosmetics, objects, toys, medical devices, that may be inhaled, ingested or absorbed…)

How are the training programmes organized and by whom?• According to the needs identified by the countries and/or scientific groups concerned and financial resources available• From a 2-day event to a full 40-hour courseWHO and its partners provide the initial training and distribution of materials, which will be available initially in English and translated into Spanish and other languages.

For further information: www.who.int/ceh

Training Package for Health Care ProvidersImproving the capacity to diagnose, prevent and manage

paediatric diseases linked to the environment

CHILDREN'S CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND HEALTH AND THE THE ENVIRONMENENVIRONMENTT

I. CHILDREN ARE NOT LITTLE ADULTS

1) Why children (Finalized)

2) Children are not little adults (Finalized)

3) The paediatric environmental and health history (Finalized)

4) Global change and children (Draft)

II. SPECIFIC EXPOSURES AND EFFECTS IN CHILDREN

5) Outdoor air pollution (Finalized)

6) Indoor air pollution (Finalized)

7) Pesticides (Finalized)

8) Lead (Finalized)

9) Mercury (Draft)

10) Other heavy metals (CHEST)

11) Household and consumer products (CHEST)

12) Noise (Draft)

13) Solid and toxic waste (Draft)

14) Water (Finalized)

15) Sanitation and hygiene (Draft)

16) Food safety (Draft)

17) Children and chemicals (Draft)

18) Industrial chemicals (CHEST)

19) POPs (Finalized)

20) SHTS (CHEST)

21) Mycotoxins, plants, fungi and derivates

22) Envenomations

23) Injuries (WHO-EURO)

24) Traffic (WHO-EURO)

25) Ionising and non.ionising radiations (Draft)

26) Occupational risks (WHO-EURO)

27) Extreme social/conflict situations

III. SPECIFIC ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS AND SPECIFIC MANAGEMENT

28) Respiratory diseases (Draft)

29) Childhood cancer (Draft)

30) Allergies (CHEST)

31) ) Infectious diseases

32) Immune disorders

33) Neurobehavioural and developmental disorders (CHEST)

34) Endocrine disorders and reproductive health effects

35) Teratogenicity (CHEST)

36) Hematological diseases

37) Case studies

V. TOWARDS THE PROTECTION OF CEH

37) Risk communication (CHEST)

38) Epidemiology risk assessment (CHEST)

39) Towards the protection of CEH- International & national agendas

VI. PROPOSED NEW TOPICS

40) Bio-monitoring and Environmental monitoring

41) Breast milk contaminants

42) Fetal exposures

List of Training Modules