-/EPA
UNEP
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Administration And
Resources Management
(3404)
United Nations
Environment
Programme
CARIBBEAN
CURRENTS
Volume 5, Number 3
July 1997
EPA/220/N-97-001
Welcome...
...to CARIBBEAN CURRENTS, Volume Five, Number Three. This
newsletter is edited by INFOTERRA/USA in its capacity as the Regional
Service Centre (RSC) for INFOTERRA National Focal Points (NFPs) in the
English and French-speaking Caribbean. Although the CURRENTS is
assembled at INFOTERRA/USA, the content belongs to you, the readers.
You are encouraged to send in any questions, comments, problems, or
interesting issues relevant to the Region for inclusion in the CURRENTS.
Please see the Guidelines for Contributions on page 4 for more information.
Each issue will feature a Directory of NFPs in the Region so that anyone
with international environmental questions can contact their nearest
resource. Please feel free to contact one another as well as your RSC for
assistance or materials.
Please don't hesitate to share CARIBBEAN CURRENTS with your friends
and colleagues, and to make copies as needed. The Currents should
serve as an informational forum for anyone who lives, works, or is
involved in environmental issues in the English and French-speaking
Caribbean Region.
CHILDREN'S HEALTH
This issue's topic is children's health. Throughout the world, children face significant threats from an
array of environmental hazards. EPA has recently established a new Office of Children's Health
Protection, and is calling international attention to the issue by making it a centerpiece at the upcoming
meeting of Environment Ministers from G-7 countries.
The next issue of CARIBBEAN CURRENTS will look at emerging global environmental issues. The
U.S EPA has'recently issued a report on major environmental threats to the world's ecosystems. These
threats include climate change, ozone depletion, long range transport of toxic substances, loss of
biodiversity and ocean degradation.
If you have any comments on this topic, or would like to contribute a short article or have a resources
guide to share, please submit your contribution following the guidelines on page 5. Please feel free to
fax, write to, or call the RSC with any questions or comments you have. Share information you have
and we will include it in the next or a future issue of CURRENTS. Thank you for your assistance.
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Protecting Children from Environmental Threats
Introduction
Throughout the world, children face significant threats from an array of environmental
hazards. They may absorb some pollutants more rapidly and eat more foods, drink more
liquids and breathe more air in proportion to body weight than the typical adult. Their
neurological, immunological, reproductive, digestive, and other bodily systems are still
developing, providing windows of vulnerability for adverse effects. Children are less able to
recognize and protect themselves from exposure to environmental pollutants, and childhood
activities put them in closer contact with environmental hazards. By virtue of their youth,
children exposed to environmental pollutants have a long period during which latent effects
may become manifest.
In September 1996, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published a report on
Environmental Health Threats to Children and a National Agenda to Protect Children's Health
from Environmental Threats (EPA 175-F-96-001). This publication highlights the EPA's
commitment to better protect children from environmental threats and outlines a seven-step
national agenda for action. EPA has forged ahead, taking steps to implement the agenda by
establishing a new Office of Children's Health Protection and calling international attention to
the issue by making children's environmental health a centerpiece of the upcoming meeting of
Environment Ministers from G-7 countries, which Administrator Carol Browner will host.
The Problem'
Dr. Philip Landrigan, M.D., M.Sc., renowned environmental health pediatrician and
author, will head EPA's new Office of Children's Health Protection. Below are excerpts from
Dr. Landrigan's writings, including the recently published book, "Raising Children Toxic
Free."
Children today live in a world vastly different from that of a generation or two ago2. Most
children in America in 1997 are better fed and better educated than children of generations
past. Thanks to vaccines, antibiotics, and improved nutrition, many once lethal pediatric
diseases have been virtually eradicated. The life span of an infant born today is substantially
longer than that of children born in the first half of this century.
At the same time, our children face hazards in the environment that were neither known
nor imagined decades ago. They are exposed to old hazards such as lead and asbestos. But
also they are exposed to more than 70,000 newly developed synthetic chemicals that did not
exist before 1950. The potential dangers of most of these materials have never been tested.
And while children's exposures to some health hazards in the environment have receded—
thanks to research.new regulations and public vigilance-children today are in contact on a
more constant basis than ever before with synthetic chemicals in their food, in the air, in
drinking water and in their homes.
Toxic environmental exposures, coupled with the control of many traditional pediatric
illnesses, have changed the face of childhood disease. Chronic illnesses in children, some
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EPA's Response"
EPA recognizes that children's environmental health issues are a top priority and must
become a central focus of all of EPA's efforts to protect public health and the environment.
We thus challenge our partners in the private sector, throughout the many levels of
government, in Congress, in academia and in interest groups to help implement the EPA
National Agenda to Protect Children's Health from Environmental Threats.
EPA commits to specific actions to better protect children from environmental threats.
We will ensure wherever possible that all of the standards EPA sets are protective enough to
address the potentially heightened risks faced by children and that the most significant existing
standards will be re-evaluated as we learn more. We will identify and expand scientific
research opportunities on child-specific susceptibility and exposure to environmental
pollutants, and we will develop new policies to address cumulative and simultaneous
exposures faced by children. EPA will work to provide better information for families so that
they will have the tools to protect themselves and we will call upon parents, teachers and
community leaders to take personal responsibility for learning about the hazards that
environmental problems pose to our children. EPA plans to expand educational efforts in
partnership with health and environmental professionals to identify, prevent and reduce
environmental health threats and we commit to provide the necessary funding to address
children's environmental health issues as a top priority among relative health risks. These
commitments, which are further detailed in EPA's National Agenda to Protect Children's
Health from Environmental Threats, will ensure that children receive the protection they need
and deserve and help our nation fulfill its obligation to protect future generations.
For more information on EPA's actions to protect children from environmental threats or to
learn about the new Office of Children's Health Protection, call Ms.Courtney Manning at
(202) 260-7960.
'Much of this section is taken from Needleman HL, Landngan PJ, Raising Children Toxic Free New York Avon Books, 1995
Needleman HL, Landngan PJ- Raising Children Toxic Free. New York. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 1994
3Haggerty R, Roghmann J, Press IB Child Health and the Community New York John Wiley and Sons, 1975
4Environmental Health Threats to Children. EPA I75-F-96-OOI Washington, D C.. United States Environmental Protection Agency,
1996
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INTERNET SITES ON CHILDREN'S HEALTH
A few of many sources of electronic information on children's health.
PedsCCM: International Child Health Page
http://pedsccm.wustl.edu/ICHealth.html
Includes links to "front line reports" and other resources on the Internet. Other links featured are
clinical resources, clinical research, organizations, meetings and opportunities.
Global ChildNet
http://edie.cprost.sfu.ca/gcnet/index.html
Features links to databases and the newsletter Global Child Health News and Review. Also includes
transcripts from the Second Child Health 2000 Congress and Exhibition (held in 1995) and
information on the Third Child Health 2000 Congress and Exhibition to be held in 1998.
World Health Organization Division of Child Health and Development
http://cdrwww.who.ch/default.htm
This site has multiple links to useful research, information, publications and diseases that affect
children around the world.
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
http://www.unicef.org
This site features a newsline to keep up with the latest UNICEF developments, as well as a link to
view or download publications. Also featured is the UNICEF Report, State of the World's Children,
1997.
International Pediatric Association (IPA)
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/IPA/welcome.htm
The goal of this organization is to improve the health and welfare of children throughout the world.
The site features links to the publications of the association, as well information on the many
workshops sponsored by it.
Children's Defense Fund
http ://ww w.tmn.com/cdf/index.html
The Children's Defense Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about the
needs of children. The site features a "Child Health Now" link with information and articles on
current U.S legislation related to children's health. Links to reports, publications and other sites of
interest are also provided.
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October 20-22,1997 -- Community-based Child Development Program, Thailand. To learn about this,
and other upcoming workshops sponsored by the International Pediatric Association (IPA), visit their
website at the address given previously, or contact them via e-mail at .
August 9-14,1998 -- XXII International Congress of Pediatrics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Contact
Jan van Goyenkade, 11,1075 HP Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Telephone (31) 20-679-3411, FAX:
(31) 20-673-7306, E-mail: eurocongres@rai.nl, Internet: http://www.rai.nl/ipa_98.
May 30-June 3,2000 - Year 2000 Child Health World Congress and Exposition, Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada. Sponsored by Global Child Health Society. Visit the Global ChildNet website
mentioned previously, or contact the Year 2000 Congress Planning Committee via e:mail at
gchs@web.apc.org.
NEW UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATIONS CATALOGUE (1997-1998) NOW AVAILABLE
The new 1997-1998 United Nations Publications Catalogue is now available. It includes all titles currently available Catalogues
of French and Spanish materials are also available. For more information, contact'
United Nations Publications
2 United Nations Plaza
Room DC@-853, Dept. COOS
New York, NY 10017
Telephone- (212) 963-8302 or (800) 253-9646
FAX: (212)963-3489
E-Mail: publications@un org
Internet ://http:www un.org/Publications
Guidelines for Contributions to CARIBBEAN CURRENTS
Any organization or individual operating or involved in the English and French-speaking Caribbean Region is welcome
to contribute to the newsletter. Contributions should be addressed to:
Cambean Currents Coordinator
INFOTERRA/USA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Headquarters Library, 3404
401M Street, SW.
Washington, D C. 20460
UNITED STATES
Telephone: (202)260-5917; Fax: (202)260-3923; E-mail: library-infoterra@epamail epa gov
Please note that submissions should meet the following criteria:
• They should be relevant to environmental issues
• They must be of interest to or directly involve the Region
• They must not endorse or recommend any product or commercial service, explicitly or implicitly
• They must be brief-under 250 words, Bulletin Board requests should be under 100 words
• They must be received by the posted deadline (see below)
Please feel free to contact the CARIBBEAN CURRENTS coordinator if you are interested in submitting a longer article You
should contact the coordinator to discuss your topic and any size or content restrictions beforehand. Be aware that once
your article is submitted, it is subject to editing as needed. Final decisions on editing and inclusion of any contributions
are left to the INFOTERRA/USA Manager. Please contact INFOTERRA/USA using the address above to contribute
any comments, questions, problems, or ideas
DEADLINE FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO Vol. 5, No. 4: September 10,1997
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Welcome to The CARIBBEAN CURRENTS
Bulletin Board
Each issue, we will publish questions or concerns of interest to CURRENTS
readers. Anyone who has materials or information that they are seeking or
that they feel will be helpful should feel free to contribute. We will post
queries and offerings of general interest on the Bulletin Board. You may
respond by contacting the reader who has placed the item, or the RSC.
Bulletin Board
DOCUMENTS
AVAILABLE
INFOTERRA/USA has free copies
of the following publications
available.
If you would like copies of any of
these documents, please let us
know.
• EPA National Publications
Catalog October 1996
• Emerging Global Environmental
Issues (U.S. EPA, Office of
International Activities), January
1997, (EPA160-K-97-001)
• Environmental Health Threats to
Children (U.S. EPA, Office of the
Administrator), September 1996,
(EPA175-F-96-001)
To request copies of these
documents, just write to
INFOTERRA/USA using the
formation Needed on
Global Issues
The next issue of Caribbean Currents
will focus on emerging global
environmental issues. We would be
interested in receiving any information
on projects or studies related to the
issues outlined earlier (biodiversity,
climate change, ozone depletion
biodiversity or ocean degradation) and
how the region is being affected. These
materials will also be kept on file for
the benefit of researchers and visitors to
INFOTERRA.
Please contact INFOTERRA/USA using
the information on page 7 if you can
provide any assistance. Thank you for
your support!
Send your Bulletins to the RSC for publication in the next issue. See
the Guidelines on page 5 for information on submitting items.
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About the NFP Directory
This directory reflects changes and additions to the INFOTERRA Directory of National Focal Points
distributed by INFOTERRA/PAC, dated January 1997. Please check this information to verify that it is
correct and up-to-date. If you have any changes or corrections, please notify the RSC as soon as possible.
We will be happy to relay the information to the PAC.
NFP DIRECTORY
Mrs. Candia Williams
Conservation Officer II
Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Environment
Queen Elizabeth Highway
St. John's
ANTIGUA, WEST INDIES
Telephone: (809)462-4625 FAX: (809)462-2836
Mrs. Lynn Holowesko
The Bahamas Environment, Science & Technology
Commission
Office of the Prime Minister
P.O. Box CB 10980
Nassau
THE BAHAMAS
Telephone: (809) 327-4691 FAX: (809) 327-4626
Mrs. Athelme Mayers
Permanent Secretary (Environment)
Ministry of Health and the Environment
Sir, Frank Walcott Building, Culloden Road
St. Michael, BARBADOS
Telephone: (246)431-7680 FAX: (246)437-8859
E-mail: envdivn@caribsurf.com
Jaime Jeffery Villanueva
Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
Princess Margaret Drive, P.O. Box 148
Belize City
BELIZE, CENTRAL AMERICA
Telephone: 501-2-44552 FAX: 501-2-32983
Mr. Ashton Lugay
Forestry and Wildlife Division
Ministry of Agriculture, Botanical Gardens
Roseau
DOMINICA, WEST INDIES
Telephone- (809) 448-2401, ext. 417 FAX (809) 448-7999
Mr. Bhoonath Birbal
Institute of Applied Science & Technology
Research Assistant, Information Unit
P.O. Box 101050, University Campus, Turkeyen
Greater Georgetown
GUYANA
Telephone (592-22)4213/4215/4218 FAX: 592-22-4229
M. Dalberg Claude
Ministere de 1'Agriculture et des Ressources Nature!les
et du Developpement Rural
P.O. Box 1441
Port-au-Prince
HAITI
Telephone: 509-1-21867 FAX: 509-1-23599
Ms. Yolanda N. Mittoo
Natural Resources Conservation Authority
53 l/2MolynesRoad
P.O. Box 305
Kingston 10
JAMAICA, WEST INDIES
Telephone: (809) 923-5155/5125
FAX: (809)923-5070 E-mail.nrca@igc.apc.org
Mr. Leonard Huggins
Environmental and Development Officer, Planning Unit
Charlestown, Nevis
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
Telephone: (809) 469-5521 FAX. (809) 469-5485
Mrs. Vanesta Moses-Felix
Government Documentalist
Ministry of Planning, Development and Environment
National Documentation Center
P.O. Box 709
Castries
ST. LUCIA, WEST INDIES
Telephone: (809)452-2611 FAX. (809)452-2506
E-mail: LCDOC@ISIS.ORG.LC
Regional Service Centre (RSC):
Emma J. McNamara
INFOTERRA/USA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Headquarters Library, 3404
401 M Street, S. W.
Washington, D. C. 20460
UNITED STATES
Telephone: (202)260-5917 FAX: (202)260-3923
E-mail, library-mfoterra@epamail.epa.gov
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