Contributions to the International Forum on Ecosystem Approaches to Human Health

Excerpt

In her opening statement to the participants of the May 2003 International Forum on Ecosystem Approaches to Human Health, Dr. Grö Harlem Brundtland captured an increasingly prominent sentiment: human health must be understood in context, and as a foundation for sustainable development. Ecosystem approaches to human health (Ecohealth) attempt to make this sentiment a reality. Consolidating the myriad experiences, successes, challenges, and knowledge that result from using them provided the impetus for the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Université de Québec à Montréal (UQAM) to jointly organize an international Forum, which brought together 358 participants representing donors, government representatives, academic institutions, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and researchers from 42 countries. It provided an opportunity for different stakeholders to discuss the Ecohealth framework and its relevance to improving human health and well-being, as well as to explore the implications of evidence from the field. …