Country work
WHO work in European Member States involves technical assistance to harmonize data collection activities, with the ultimate aim of producing environmental exposure data that is comparable both within a country and at international level. A training workshop held in Germany in 2013 supported the implementation of national exposure assessment surveys in schools by introducing specialists from 13 Member States to the standardized WHO survey methodology.
WHO also supports the development of national environment and health information systems to enhance the dissemination of information.
Latest examples include:
- Albania: Provision of technical assistance for the first pilot survey to assess exposure to environmental hazards in the school environment (2011-2012).
- Croatia: Collaboration on the development and pilot testing of new indicators including a pilot survey in schools in the city of Osijek (spring 2012) and a nation-wide exposure assessment survey in more than 150 schools (ongoing).
- Estonia: Provision of technical guidance for the pilot survey in schools (spring 2013).
- Hungary: Collaboration on development and pilot testing of new indicators of exposure to allergenic pollen and mortality due to heat-waves.
- Latvia: Collaboration on a pilot survey in schools (spring 2013).
- Lithuania: Collaboration on development and pilot testing of new indicators and technical assistance for a pilot survey in schools (spring 2013); collaboration on development and pilot testing of the policy survey.
- Russian Federation: Collaboration on development and implementation of a pilot human biomonitoring survey in maternity wards (planned for 2013–2014).
- Serbia: Training workshop on environment and health information systems (2011) and preparation of a pilot exposure assessment survey in schools (planned for 2013).
