a qualitative analysis of environmental policy and childrens health in mexico环境政策的定性分析,在墨西哥儿童健康.pdfVIP

Cifuentes et al. Environmental Health 2010, 9:14 /content/9/1/14 RESEARCH Open Access A qualitative analysis of environmental policy and children’s health in Mexico 1,2,3 2* 1 2 Enrique Cifuentes , Leonardo Trasande , Martha Ramirez , Philip J Landrigan Abstract Background: Since Mexico’s joining the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 1994, it has witnessed rapid industrialization. A byproduct of this industrialization is increasing population exposure to environmental pollutants, of which some have been associated with childhood disease. We therefore identified and assessed the adequacy of existing international and Mexican governance instruments and policy tools to protect children from environmental hazards. Methods: We first systematically reviewed PubMed, the Mexican legal code and the websites of the United Nations, World Health Organization, NAFTA and OECD as of July 2007 to identify the relevant governance instruments, and analyzed the approach these instruments took to preventing childhood diseases of environmental origin. Secondly, we interviewed a purposive sample of high-level government officials, researchers and non- governmental organization representatives, to identify their opinions and attitudes towards children’s environmental health and potential barriers to child-specific protective legislation and implementation. Results: We identified only one policy tool describing specific measures to reduce developmental neurotoxicity and other children’s health effects from lead. Other governance instruments mention children’s unique vulnerability to ozone, particulate matter and carbon monoxide, but do not provide fu