Climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss affect people’s health and generate multi-billion-euro economic losses, as a briefing produced by HEAL Poland under the patronage of the Institute of Water Economy and Meteorology of the National Research Institute and the Polish Federation of Asthma, Allergy, and COPD Patients Associations highlights.
HEAL is calling for greater political commitment and attention on reducing exposure to hazardous chemicals for better health, in EU and national regulations.
To address growing concern about harmful chemicals in Poland and to raise awareness about the impacts of chemicals on health in Poland, HEAL in November 2024 has started publishing materials and articles on the matter and engage the Polish health sector. A recent Eurobarometer survey shows that 84% of Poles are worried about the effects of harmful chemicals on their health.
HEAL materials includes infographics now available in Polish, on
- Tips to avoid endocrine disruptors (EDCs) in and around the home
- The harmful impacts of exposure to known and suspected endocrine disruptors (EDCs) on people’s health and the environment – and what the EU should do about it
- How PFAS chemicals affect women, pregnancy and human development and urgently need to be phased out
- How Europe can prevent cancer by tackling environmental pollutants
To raise awareness with the general public, HEAL Poland published an article in the January edition of the Moda na zdrowie magazine. This publication is available for free in 3000 pharmacies throughout Poland, reaching 1 million readers every month. The article (focuses on explaining the health impacts of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) based on the latest science, a, and, importantly, includes practical tips on how to minimise personal exposure in daily life, as also outlined in this infographic. EDCs can be found in everyday items, as well as in water, food, air, and soil. They can interfere with the body’s hormonal system, leading to various health conditions, such as thyroid problems, diabetes, cancers, as well as to developmental disorders in children.
HEAL will continue to call for better protection from chemicals that harm health, for example through the first ever international conference on health and chemicals in Warsaw, Poland on 10 June.
More information on the work on chemicals in Poland can be found here and on the work on EU level here.
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