Environmental health : the last 20 years and future challenges on the environment

Abstract

The health of a population is intrinsically linked to the state of its surrounding environment. Environmental health proposes legislative and cultural action towards improving the state of the current environment to orient it towards improving the health of the resident population. Over the past 20 years, the main developments with regards to environmental health in Malta included EU legislation related to air quality, noise pollution, water and sanitation, waste management, chemicals, and electrification of the transport sector, and also strategies and polices for the promotion of active mobility such as cycling and building sustainable health system. Another important issue to which Malta, together with other countries, must work towards improving is climate change. Unlike other areas, global collaboration and cooperation is required to set and reach targets to prevent planetary Earth system changes that are projected to disrupt the lives of many people around the world, especially of the vulnerable including small island states with limited resources such as Malta.