IOM leads major new Health Impact Assessment project for the European Commission

Date: 01 January 2007

IOM is leading a major new multi-disciplinary research study on environment and health, which is designed to support the Environment and Health Action Plan of the European Commission. The project is known as Health and Environment Integrated Methodology and Toolbox for Scenario Assessment (HEIMTSA) and it will provide ways for the Commission or other stakeholders to evaluate the benefits and costs of proposed policy initiatives at the European level. The work will extend health impact assessment (HIA) and cost benefit analysis (CBA) methods and provide convenient tools to use these approaches. To do this, HEIMTSA will use existing research findings to link from policy scenarios (on transport, energy, agriculture, industry, households, waste treatment and disposal) through emissions of pollutants to air, soil and water; through dispersal into the environment and changes in population exposures; to changes in health and associated monetary valuations.

HEIMTSA is led by Fintan Hurley and Susy Scarisbrick is Project Manager. It is an Integrated Project, one of the last under the 6th EU Framework Programme (FP6). It started on 1 February 2007 and will last for four years, with Commission funding of almost €5M. The Consortium of 21 Partners includes many of the leading environment and health research organisations in Europe.

HEIMTSA marks an important development in the IOM's work on environment and health, especially health impact assessment.

LIST OF HEIMTSA PARTNERS

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Institue of Occupational Medicine - Working for a healthier future

2007