EPA
and the World Health
Organization
 The World Health Organization (WHO)-a United
 Nations specialized agency—coordinates international
 action on health. It promotes among its 153 member
 states the development of health services, environ-
 mental health programs, training of health workers,
 and medical research. A particular concern is making
 hearth care available to poor residents of rural and
 urban-fringe areas.
   EPA assists in the development and implementation
 of a number of WHO environmental health projects. It
 also works closely with the Pan American Health
 Organization (PAHO), the WHO Regional Office for
 the Americas.
  Since 1970, EPA has managed and operated the
 WHO Collaborating Center on Environmental Pollution
 Control. Projects include the evaluation of health
 effects of pollutants, monitoring human exposure to
 pollutants, and monitoring their occurrence in the
 environment. Other projects are concerned with the
 prevention and control of environmental pollution,
 and with control of toxic substances.
  EPA has helped develop and operate the WHO/
 United Nations Environment Program Global Environ-
 ment Monitoring System (GEMS) project on urban air
 pollution.  In this program, EPA's Environmental
 Research Center in Research Triangle Park, North
 Carolina, interprets data on urban air quality collected
 by monitoring stations around the world. A report on
 this continuing project was published in 1978.
  EPA is also assisting in the GEMS program on
 inland fresh water monitoring.
  EPA helps prepare and review WHO environmental
 health criteria documents. These documents provide
 guidance to WHO member states in setting exposure
 limits for air and water contaminants, pesticides,
 noise, and radiation. They are  particularly useful to
 developing nations attempting to establish protection
 standards.
  Through both WHO and  PAHO,  EPA makes
 experts available to participate in international
 meetings and to provide technical assistance through
 snort-term consultation  and training assignments to
less developed nations. When its own personnel are
not available, EPA recommends outside experts from
other public agencies or from the private sector.
  EPA assists WHO in the International Program on
the Effects of Chemicals on Health, which seeks to
monitor, evaluate, and control the effects of
chemicals on the human body. The program coordi-
nates research work and provides for mutual assis-
tance in emergencies.
  With both WHO and the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization, EPA experts participate in
the activities of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
EPA contributes to two working groups of this major
project—the FAO Panel of Experts and the WHO
Group of Experts—to establish internationally-
recognized tolerance levels of pesticides in food.
                                                                               UniMdSMM*

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