This is the 2024 update of the Compendium of WHO and other UN guidance on health and environment. The Compendium is a comprehensive collection of available WHO and other UN guidance for improving health by creating healthier environments. It provides an overview and easy access of more than 500 actions, and a framework for thinking about health and environment interventions. It covers a broad range of areas such as air pollution, water, sanitation and hygiene, climate change, chemicals, radiation, or food systems. Guidance is classified according to principal sectors involved, level of implementation (national, community, health care), the type of instrument (taxes, infrastructure etc.) and the category of evidence. The Compendium compiles existing guidance from hundreds of documents in a simple and systematized format. To ensure the most up-to-date information is provided to the end users, the Compendium is updated on a regular basis and incorporates the latest major WHO or other UN guidance on health and environment. The target audience includes any decision-makers with relevance to health and environment, and those assisting them (such as mayors, staff in ministries, UN country staff etc.). The Compendium has been prepared by WHO in cooperation with UN Environment, UNDP and UNICEF.

In this version of the compendium, each guidance is coded using the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI). The compendium provides a systematic compilation of published guidance from WHO and other UN organizations on health and environment. Guidance on policies and actions as well as awareness raising and capacity building interventions is presented for all major areas of health and environment. Guidance referring to priority settings for action such as cities and other urban settlements, housing, workplaces and health care facilities is also listed. For greater practical relevance, each guidance is classified according to principally involved sectors, level of implementation and instruments for implementation. The compilation of guidance for each area of health and environment or priority setting for action is accompanied, as available, by information on main sources, exposure assessment and existing guideline values. Important tools and further resources are presented alongside. This compilation of published guidance on health and environment highlights that a large number of actions across main topics of health and environment, concerning various sectors, and applicable to various levels are available to improve health and reduce environmental risks. This compendium is intended to serve as a repository and easy-to-use and useful resource for decision and policy makers in health and environment at various levels. The Compendium is planned to be updated on an annual basis as additional guidance becomes available.

At the Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly held 21-30 May 2023, Member States adopted the WHA Decision A76(22), Achieving well-being: a global framework for integrating well-being into public health utilizing a health promotion approach, which strives to enable all people to flourish and achieve their full physical and mental health potential throughout their lives and across generations. The Framework recommends six strategic directions that focus on: Effective implementation of these strategic directions should constitute part of a national governance system based on a ‘whole-of-government’ and ‘whole-of-society’ approach. The Framework is based on close collaboration between sectors outside of health and with communities to promote and protect health. It serves as a guide for stakeholders to engage in a coherent and coordinated manner around a common purpose: promoting the health of people and planet in a sustainable and equitable manner. There are complementarities with the work on social determinants of health and equity, on primary health care and OneHealth among others. And is aligned with several WHO health promotion activities, including promoting physical activity, the Tobacco Free initiative and less consumption of alcohol. The Assembly requests the Director-General to report on implementation of the Framework in 2024, 2026 and 2031.

This document outlines the concept and content of the WHO people-centred approach to addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the human health sector. The proposed approach recognizes and aims to address the challenges and health system barriers people face when accessing health services to prevent, diagnose and treat (drug-resistant) infections. It puts people and their needs at the centre of the AMR response and guides policy-makers in taking programmatic and comprehensive actions to mitigate AMR in line with a proposed package of core interventions. These interventions are based on a review of four pillars and two foundational steps that are critical to overcome barriers faced by people and health systems in addressing AMR. The four pillars are: (1) prevention of infections; (2) access to essential health services; (3) timely, accurate diagnosis; and (4) appropriate, quality-assured treatment. The pillars are supported by the two foundational steps: effective governance, awareness and education; and strategic information through surveillance and research. Building and adding on to the objectives of the Global action plan on AMR, the 13 core interventions and accompanying priority actions are designed to address AMR in a programmatic manner that puts people, their needs and equitable access to health services at the centre of the AMR response in the community, in primary care, secondary and tertiary care, and at national and/or subnational level. The development of the people-centred core package of AMR interventions was based on a review of the evidence and multidisciplinary expert opinion, complemented with feedback from a global online consultation and WHO’s strategic and technical advisory group on antimicrobial resistance. As countries develop or revise their national action plans (NAPs) on AMR, the people-centred core package of interventions can support the design and prioritization of actions in the human health sector at the different levels of implementation and integrated with broader health system strengthening and pandemic preparedness and response plans.

The WHO Benchmarks for International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Capacities was first published in 2019 and serves as a capacity-building tool and reference document to guide development/updating of country health security plans, including the national action plan for health security (NAPHS). It is now updated to a second edition which incorporates lessons learned from recent health emergencies, as well as alignment with updated IHRMEF tools, the HEPR framework, the WHO Director-General’s ten proposals to build a safer world together, and to build back better through multi-hazard and whole-of-society approaches to support better preparedness for future emergencies. Over 250 relevant technical leads contributed to this edition, by providing inputs from WHO regional offices, countries, partners and participation in global consultation meetings. The second edition is titled “WHO Benchmarks for Strengthening Health Emergency Capacities: Support for the Implementation of International Health Regulations (IHR) and Health Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Resilience (HEPR) Capacities”. WHO benchmarks are further digitalized for easy and quick use, along with a reference library, which is currently being updated. The audience for this document includes WHO Member States, health ministries and other relevant ministries, healthstakeholders, partners, nongovernmental organizations and academia to support building capacities at the country level.

Diseases and Health Consequences of Air Pollution, Volume Three, Air Pollution, Human Health, and the Environment is part of a three-volume series. This volume focuses on epidemiological studies and diseases attributed to ambient and indoor air pollutants. It opens with an overview of diseases and health consequences due to air pollution. The chapters discuss health conditions such as respiratory issues, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and blood pressure, diabetes, nervous system, brain, cancer, stroke—cerebrovascular disease, and skin disease that are linked to exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollutants. The book also evaluates the health cost and economic burden of air pollution and offers risk management and solutions to mitigate the health implications of indoor and ambient air pollution. This book provides a single source solution and the latest information about the diseases attributed to air pollutants and their health impact. It will be a valuable reference for academicians, researchers, and students in environmental health, public health, and occupational health, as well as environmental engineers, meteorologists, epidemiologists, medical researchers, and environmental toxicologists. Discusses diseases attributed to air pollutants Explains the mechanism of air pollutants on human organs Examines human epidemiological studies and case studies on disease outcomes due to air pollutants Covers health cost and economic burden evaluation of air pollution