Transport and health

European countries face conflicting demands for transport policies. While transport has a key role in the economy, concern is increasing about the sustainability of current transport policies, and how they can harm human health and the environment.

Promoting healthy and sustainable transport options prevents the negative effects of current transport patterns on human health, such as those caused by air pollution and physical inactivity. Cooperation among sectors and high-level political commitment are crucial to ensure that health issues are considered when transport policies are made.

WHO/Europe:

• promotes sustainable transport for health and the environment through an integrated approach, which prevents and reduces the health effects associated with current transport patterns;
• assists its Member States in fully considering transport policies’ implications for health, the environment and sustainable development, and supports them in defining and managing mobility policies that benefit health.

This is done by developing methods and tools to assess the health impact of transport, and by promoting policies for sustainable transport and healthy transport modes.

These activities contribute to achieving the goals of the WHO European process on environment and health and of the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP).