ENHIS indicators aim at reflecting and communicating the status of environment and health issues in Europe. They are tools to monitor health and environment trends in countries, to evaluate the effectiveness of relevant policies and to make comparisons of countries’ progress towards the targets set in Europe-wide action programmes.
ENHIS developed a methodology for a set of indicators to measure and report on health and its relation to environmental risk factors, focusing on children’s health. Topic areas were defined based on the information needs of current policies, in particular the Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE). A number of indicators were identified using the state-of-art scientific evidence about environment-related health impacts. The focus was on environmental factors most relevant to health, on health outcomes most influenced by the environment, and on policy actions deemed to reduce and prevent the risks. Twenty-six ‘core’ indicators were selected. Twelve of them are applicable to the general population.
ENHIS methodological guidelines were developed for thirty indicators giving the rationale, definition, required data elements, calculation method, data sources, interpretation and policy relevance. To ensure that the information collected on the indicators was consistent and user-friendly, a template for a methodology sheet was designed to include the rationale and definition of the indicator, underlying concepts and definitions, specification of the data needed, data sources, availability and quality, method of computing the indicator, scale of application, interpretation of the result, linkage with other indicators, details of any related data and websites, policy and regulatory context of the indicator and any relevant reporting obligations.
Download methodology information
(.pdf)
A real life application of the methodology for environmental health indicators was achieved by developing methods and guidelines for information generation based on existing data. A methodological guidance for generation of environmental health indicators from international databases and recognized surveys was developed to enhance effective use and re-use of readily available data.
Retrieving information from international data sources and surveys - a hands-on guidance
(.pdf)
Other relevant EC Health Information System projects include:
- ECHI, European Community Health Indicators
- EUPHIX, European Public Health Information, Knowledge & Data Management System (work in progress)
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The DPSEEA model describes the environmental health cause-and-effect chain by addressing Driving Forces, Pressures, State, Exposure, Effects and Actions.
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Within the DPSEEA framework, the driving forces component refers to the factors that motivate and push the environmental processes involved.
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Within the DPSEEA framework, driving forces result in the generation of pressures on the environment.
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Within the DPSEEA framework, the state of the environment is often modified in response to the pressures.
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Deterioration in the environmental quality may pose risks to human well-being when people are present both at the place and at the time of exposure.
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Exposure to environmental hazards can lead to a wide spectrum of health effects, which may occur in the short- or the long-term.
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In order to prevent or reduce environmental problems and consequent health effects, society attempts to adopt and implement a range of actions. These can be targeted at different points of the cause-and-effect chain. For example, actions can be taken to limit emissions of pollutants or to treat health effects. The most effective long-term actions, however, are preventive and aimed at eliminating or reducing the forces that drive the system.
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