Young children often are hardest hit by the consequences of poor environmental public health systems. For their size, they breathe more air and eat more food than adults, making them particularly vulnerable to environmental public health hazards. And even low levels of toxic exposures can affect children’s physical and mental development.
While everyone suffers the consequences of environmental contaminants, communities of color and low-income communities are disproportionately affected. Historic and current-day policies and practices, such as structural racism, have led to and continue health inequities.
Recent environmental public health crises have raised concerns about environmental public health systems and how people can access essential environmental health services.
A new report from APHA, “Protecting the Health of Children: A National Snapshot of Environmental Health Services,” presents results and recommendations from APHA’s three-part study on the availability of children’s environmental health services in the U.S. This groundbreaking APHA report can be used by children’s environmental health champions to protect our children and their future.