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4.D. Workshop: The interaction of environmental
impact and chronic diseases: from theory to
practice
Abstract citation ID: ckac129.218
Organised by: EUPHA-CHR, EUPHA-ENV
Chair persons: Sarah Cuschieri (Malta), Marija Jevtic (EUPHA-ENV)
Contact: sarah.cuschieri@um.edu.mt
Both chronic diseases and environmental change are growing
global public health challenges even amidst the ongoing Covid-
19 pandemic. Every country is faced with these challenges,
although small states and islands have an additional burden
imposed on their sustainability, however this is rarely
investigated. The intertwined relationship that exists between
both epidemics is acknowledged, yet seldom explored or
tackled together on a public health research level with bleak
effect on policies outcome. People’s lifestyles are a contributing
factor to the progressive deterrent relationship between
chronic diseases and environmental change. Indeed, many
public health interventions promoting a healthier life will also
produce the double benefit of tackling climate and the
environment. For example, promoting more active transporta-
tion such as through the increase in bike lanes accessibility and
incentives to promote active commuting will both reduce the
dependency of carbon-based motor vehicle transportation,
with a positive impact on the environment and climate, and on
health. In fact, increase in physical activity is a well-known
preventive and management action for most chronic diseases.
Similarly, lower levels of pollution are also associated to
decreases in many chronic diseases. Many other examples exist
including the relationship between the food production, food
security and carbon emissions. It is therefore imminent that
urgent public health action is taken targeting the dominating
urbanization and obesogenic environment that concomitantly
have a role in the progressive development of chronic diseases
and negative environmental impact. The aim of this workshop
is to follow a multidisciplinary approach by bringing together
different stakeholders to discuss the relationship between
chronic diseases and the environment with a focus on small
island states. While addressing the need to ensure that both
public health and economic sustainability along with deceler-
ating environmental change are on the imminent agenda. The
workshop will be composed of four presenters discussing the
various impacts on the environment from food production
and security, sustainable dietetic models, the impact of city
design on healthy living and finally the link between change in
climate change and chronic diseases from a small state
perspective. This will be followed by an engaging discussion
between the presenters and the audience.
Key messages:
An intertwined relationship exists between environmental
change (ranging from food security to city planning) and
chronic diseases.
A One Health approach and public health interventions are
required to halt the dual epidemic.
Abstract citation ID: ckac129.219
Food Production as a challenge for One Health
Approach and Public Health
Marija Jevtic
M Jevtic
1,2,3
, C Bouland
3
1
Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia, Serbia
2
Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia, Serbia
3
Universite
´Libre de Bruxelles, Research Center, School of Public Health,
Brussels, Belgium
Contact: marija.jevtic@uns.ac.rs
A sustainable food production is essential for human sustain-
ability. According to available data, the world’s diets and food
habits must evolve and change intensely. Nowadays, more than
800 million people suffer from deficient food. On the other
hand, more consumers have an unhealthy diet contributing to
premature death, obesity, food related non-communicable
diseases. Diets must provide an appropriate calorie intake,
different of plant-based food, low amounts of animal-based
food, unsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals (rather than
saturated, refined grains, highly processed foods, and added
sugars). It is needed adjustment to various agro-systems,
cultural traditions, and individual dietary preferences.
However, production must also be sustainably adjusted to
meet the global population’s growing food demands, as well as
using the doughnut economy principle. A sustainable food
production requires a One Health approach, and also evolving
towards a decarbonized agricultural production by eliminating
the use of fossil fuels and land use change losses of CO2 in
agriculture. Policies to encourage people to choose healthy diets
are needed. Those should include the improvement of the
availability and accessibility to healthy food through improved
logistics and storage, increased food security, policies that
promote buying from sustainable sources, as well as reducing
food waste. The mindset change regarding to the agro-system,
food production and food usage in a healthy way at individual
level, community level, national level and global level are
essential for sustainable human population. Healthy eating
should be the highest priority of food consumers, as well as its
mindset shift from ‘live to eat’ to ‘eat to live’. Consumers should
feel safe and healthy, but also think about future generations,
respecting agriculture and food production. Sustainable,
equitable, healthier, and more inclusive food systems have the
power to catalyze the achievement of all 17 SDGs by 2030.
Abstract citation ID: ckac129.220
Sustainable dietetic models: strategies for
communication and promotion
Francesca Scazzina
F Scazzina
1
, B Biasini
1
, A Rosi
1
, C Franchini
1
1
Department of Food and Drugs, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
Contact: francesca.scazzina@unipr.it
Global Burden of Disease identifies the makeup of diets as a
significant risk factor for mortality and morbidity, with 11
million deaths and 255 million disability-adjusted life years
attributable to dietary risk factors. 690 million people lack
sufficient food and economic projections suggest that COVID-
19 pandemic may add an additional 83 to 132 million people
to the ranks of the undernourished, as the outbreak has
exacerbated the global food flaws and insufficiencies, impact-
ing the most vulnerable populations. Diets and related food
systems also contribute to significant environmental degrada-
tion and climate change. Demand for animal-source foods is
also increasing, particularly in emerging economies, which
entails risks for the environment. 1.3 billion tons of food are
wasted globally yearly, utilizing 38% of total energy consump-
tion in the global food system. The real cost of acquiring
enough nutrient-rich food to meet national dietary guidelines
for a healthy diet exceeds available income for 38% of the
15th European Public Health Conference 2022 iii91
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world’s population. A balanced diet that meets food-based
dietary guidelines calls for even larger quantities of more costly
food groups than would be needed just for nutrient adequacy,
owing to their many functional attributes beyond just the
essential nutrients that they contain. Faced with this scenario,
there is urgent need for an appropriate strategy to increase
people’s awareness of the relationship between specific food
choices and health and to facilitate the educational environment
on this issue. Actual examples of current strategies for
communication and promotion of healthy and sustainable
diets will be discussed. With awareness and knowledge, clear and
precise information, a supportive social environment, available
and accessible healthy and sustainable food items, and the
implementation of related policies, individuals have a great
potential to achieve healthiness and environmental sustainability
by choosing healthier and more sustainable foods.
Abstract citation ID: ckac129.221
Rethink cities to promote an active lifestyle and
tackle climate change: best practices from the OECD
Michele Cecchini
M Cecchini
1
, A Piatrova
1
, A Aldea
1
, A Lerouge
1
, J Cheatley
1
1
OECD, Paris, France
Contact: Michele.CECCHINI@oecd.org
Background:
City design can have major health and environmental implica-
tions. The overall layout of cities influences air quality, as urban
sprawl can encourage the use of motorised vehicles and decrease
active travelling. Furthermore, lack of trees has a negative impact
on particulate matter levels and contributes to the urban heat
island effect. There is a growing interest for creating an urban
environment conducive of healthier lifestyles.
Methods:
The analysis uses the five OECD criteria to assess best practices
in public health - Effectiveness, Efficiency, Equity, Evidence-
base, and Extent of coverage - to carry out a systematic
assessment of selected candidate best practices to improve the
public health potential of cities. The impact of scaling up these
interventions within and across countries is evaluated by using
the OECD SPHeP-NCD microsimulation model.
Results:
Interventions such as Superblocks in Barcelona, which
reshapes the city layout to make them more people centric
and less vehicles reliant, or Cycle Superhighways from
Denmark, which develops cycling networks, have a the
potential to avoid a significant number of chronic diseases
by promoting an active lifestyle and decreasing transport-
related pollution. Such interventions can also decrease
healthcare expenditure and, if well designed, health disparities.
Discussion:
While many urban design interventions are a good investment
for countries and, in general, there is good support, a number
of implementation hurdles exist. First, extent of coverage is still
relatively limited across European countries. Second, changes
take time to be implemented and some of the health impact
materializes in the longer-term. Third, the implementation of
such interventions is generally competence of other autho-
rities, other than the health authorities. Building strong multi-
stakeholder approaches and making a strong case for such
investments can promote change.
Abstract citation ID: ckac129.222
Strengthening resilience to address climate change
and chronic diseases: evidence from small states
Stefano Moncada
S Moncada
1
, M Spiteri
1
1
Islands and Small States Institute, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
Contact: stefano.moncada@um.edu.mt
Background:
Climate & environmental change are disproportionally
impacting small states, given higher costs per capita associated
with coping with the immediate risks of environmental &
climatic events. Climate change has been identified as a serious
public health threat. This is especially true for heatwaves in the
Mediterranean Basin, with poor air quality worsening the
health impacts during periods of extreme heat, often affecting
already high levels of chronic diseases. Promoting climate
change adaptation measures is crucial to address the negative
socio-economic impacts brought by heatwaves, & its interac-
tions with poor air quality. While awareness about the link
between poor air quality & heat-waves is gaining momentum,
there is still a gap in policy responses, especially in small states.
This research assesses the level of preparedness of the European
Union, with a focus on adaptation to heat-waves since the
extreme European heat-wave of 2003. A case study on Malta is
also presented, aiming at discovering what measures the island
is adopting to tackle the problems arising from the interaction
between poor air quality & heatwaves.
Methods:
A systematic literature review is conducted, investigating the
links between heat-waves & air pollution post 2003, followed
by a qualitative content analysis to assess the preparedness of
climate change adaptation measures in this regard.
Results and conclusions:
The findings of this research show that the link between heat
waves & poor air quality has not been sufficiently acknowl-
edged by academia, with evident gaps in applied small states
research. Also, a closer look at key adaptation policies &
measures in Malta finds that heat waves & poor air quality are
hardly been linked, leaving much scope to introduce policy &
economic instruments to tackle both public health risks to
address growing chronic diseases, & not to compromise
current & future socioeconomic wellbeing.
4.E. Workshop: The role of National Public Health
Institutes and IANPHI as Key Climate Actors
Abstract citation ID: ckac129.223
Organised by: Robert Koch Institute, IANPHI (France)
Chair persons: Angela Fehr (Germany), Se
´bastien Denys (France)
Contact: taylora@rki.de
Climate change is arguably the greatest threat to population
health worldwide. Urgent action is needed to mitigate and
adapt to the impacts. National public health institutes (NPHIs)
are key actors in preventing illness and improving the health
and wellbeing of their populations. They therefore have a
crucial role to play in addressing climate change and making it
central to their agendas. They can contribute to a better
understanding of how climate change affects health, translate
this knowledge into policy advice, and identify health co-
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