The document discusses integrated approaches to health and the environment. It makes three key points: 1. Health priorities are closely interlinked with environmental factors, as non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that account for most global deaths are driven by factors like urbanization, consumption patterns, and air pollution, which also degrade the environment. 2. There are opportunities for synergies between health and environmental sectors by addressing common risk factors across sectors to maximize co-benefits. Actions in sectors like transport, finance, agriculture, and trade can help reduce pollution and encourage healthy behaviors. 3. Effective governance and financing arrangements are critical, such as assessing health impacts, coordinating cross-sectoral policies, establishing

1. Integrated Approaches:
Health & the Environment
Nadia Rasheed
Team Leader, Health & Development
UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub

2. Content of Presentation
• Health priorities are closely interlinked to environmental factors
• Synergies can lead to better outcomes for health and the
environment
• Governance and Financing arrangements are critical to
incentivizing cross-sectoral action

3. 1. Health & environment challenges closely
interlinked
• NCDs account for a majority of global deaths (cancers, strokes/heart
diseases, diabetes, respiratory diseases) – SDG 3.4
• NCDs represent more than 70% of deaths in Asia Pacific; 50% premature
• Economic and social costs: China ($558 billion) and India ($237 billion)
btwn 2005 and 2015
• Factors that drive NCDs also driving environmental degradation and
climate change
• Increase in NCDs driven by urbanization, unsustainable/unhealthy
consumption patterns, lack of physical activity, sedentary work
(tobacco, alcohol)

4. 1. Health & environment challenges closely
interlinked
• WHO estimates 1 in 4 deaths globally
result from living or working in an
unhealthy environment (12.6 mn
annually)
• Most linked to indoor/outdoor air
pollution
• Asia Pacific accounts for largest share
(60%) with 7.3 mn deaths annually
• NCDs the cause of 2/3 deaths linked to
unhealthy environments

5. 2. Opportunities for co-benefits & synergies
• Health sector response alone insufficient to prevent
NCDs
• Opportunity to maximize co-benefits by addressing
common risk factors with environment, other
sectors
• Urban settings critical to addressing links between
NCDs, air & environmental pollution
• Environmental impacts on health uneven across
social groups: gender, age, income, social status,
employment, education.

6. 2. Opportunities for co-benefits & synergies
Action across sectors:
• Transport and urban planning: reduce
emissions and encourage physical activity
(gender, disability)
• Finance: set appropriate tax rates to promote
healthy diet and sustainable consumption,
regulate fat, sugar, salt, tobacco, alcohol
• Agriculture: promote production of healthy
food, availability of safe water
• Commerce and Trade: regulate importation of
unhealthy food products
• Others: Planning, education, information,
labour

7. 3. Governance and Financing
• Assessing linkages and opportunities for action (e.g. Health impact
assessments)
• Policy planning across key sectors
• Governance mechanisms: inter-sectoral and whole of society,
accountability
• Financing: opportunities for co-financing across relevant sectors where co-
benefits exist; ‘sin tax’ to benefit SDG financing
• Action at different levels: national, subnational, municipal
• Leave no one behind: engagement of civil society, attention to gender,
socio-economic status, disability

8. THANK YOU