Joint press release
Today, Federal Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen and Federal Minister of Health Daniel Bahr joined WHO Regional Director for Europe Zsuzsanna Jakab to open the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health in Bonn. Since 1 January 2012 the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health (ECEH) has been located entirely in the UN city of Bonn. The tasks of the Rome office, which was closed in December, have been transferred to the Bonn office. The German government and the World Health Organization have agreed that the German contribution to financing will be raised from 1.023 million euros to around 3.4 million euros per year from 2012.
Federal Environment Minister Röttgen underlined: "The merging of the two offices has strengthened Bonn enormously. Alongside Copenhagen, Bonn is now the most important international location for the WHO region of Europe. Our commitment underlines the crucial role environmental protection plays in human health. Protecting the environment also protects human health. In this field, the expanded centre provides the WHO with the opportunity to become even more active, especially since the number of employees will triple."
Federal Minister of Health Daniel Bahr said: "Questions regarding the connection between environment and health, for example in the case of allergies, cancer or infectious diseases, make it clear that health is closely related to environmental factors. Children in particular react strongly to environmental influences such as ozone and noise. This is why improved prevention and precaution are fundamental. Having WHO activities concentrated in Bonn and promoted with dedication provides extra pull."
The WHO European Centre for Environment and Health in Bonn deals with the impacts of environmental factors on human health. This includes topics such as housing and health, climate change and health, air quality, chemicals safety, environment and health information systems, noise, occupational health, drinking water supply and wastewater management. In cooperation with experts from all over the world the centre recommends measures to prevent risks and develops international guidelines.
Consolidating the two offices in Bonn also facilitates the use of synergies with other UN bodies based in Bonn. The current debates on climate change, which can also affect human health, show the wide range of related topics and the many interactions between environment and health issues.