Ensuring public health risk mitigation and promoting the well-being of the population of all ages is essential to sustainable development. Currently, the world is facing a global health crisis unlike any other — COVID-19 is destabilizing the global economy and upending the lives of billions of people around the globe.
It is widely accepted that global warming has a negative impact on the main pillars of health – economic, environmental, and social determinants. It affects the essentials for good public health: safe drinking water, clean air, food safety, etc. In this context, the global south suffers the most by being exposed to environmental injustices, toxic emissions, and polluted water.
According to the WHO’s 2017 report, the health status of Georgia’s population has over the past three decades generally followed the trends observed in the rest of the WHO European Region. However, despite noticeable improvements since 2000, the country still faces multiple health challenges. According to the same report, air pollution is among the top 10 risk factors and the associated age-standardized burden of disease.
CENN recognizes the importance of healthy and resilient communities for green growth and sustainable development. Fostering the well-being of the population and mitigation of public health risks is a priority in CENN’s programs. Namely, CENN supports governmental institutions in the development of relevant policy documents, conducts studies in close cooperation with research institutions, and provides valuable information and recommendations to the relevant stakeholders. In addition, CENN carries out issue-based constructive dialogue mechanisms and implementation of advocacy campaigns for the creation of green spaces in rural areas, combating indoor and outdoor air pollution, WASH issues, and beyond.
